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OF 



FRANK G. ALLEN, 



iiTjbto of ti)(t ^o^pd 



AND 



Selections from His Writings 



EDITED BY 

ROBERT GRAHAM 

President of the College of the Bible y Lexington, Ky. 




CINCINNATI ^/ 

GUIDE PRINTING & PUBLISHING CO. 

1887 




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Copyright, 1887, by 
THE GUIDE PRINTING & PUBLISHING CO. 



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PREFACE. 

By prescription, which often has the force of law, a 
book should have both a Preface and an Introduction : 
the first relating to the writer ; the second to the things 
written. I may well dispense with the latter, for what 
is here written the humblest capacity can understand ; 
and it would be cruel to detain him long on the porch 
who is anxious to enter the building. 

But, dear reader, a word with you (for that is the 
meaning of '* Preface") before you begin this unpre- 
tentious little book, the joint production of an author, 
an editor, and a publisher. 

It is due the first, to say that he wrote what is here 
called his Autobiography in great physical weakness, 
and without expecting that it would appear in this 
form. This will account for its homely garb, and apol- 
ogize for it, if apology be necessary. Frank Allen had 
no time to spend upon mere style in anything he 
wrote. He aimed at clearness and force of expression, 
and reached these in a remarkable degree in his latter 
days. If any one, therefore, should take up this vol- 
ume expecting to find literary entertainment, he will 
have the search for his pains ; but if he seeks for what 
is far better, the secret of a life devoted to God and 



VI. PREFACE. 

goodness, told in plain, unvarnished English, he will 
not be disappointed. 

When I received from the gifted author the record 
of his *' travel's history," I intended to write his Life, 
but death came and found us, not him, unprepared ; 
and so, under the constraint of other and pressing 
duties, my purpose was reluctantly abandoned. Be- 
sides, upon examination it was found that with a few 
changes and additions here and there, these memo- 
randa, as they came from the hand of their author, 
could, under the circumstances, appear in that form 
and do him no discredit. 

Such is my admiration of this noble man, and such 
my deference to what I am sure must be the desire of 
his friends, that I have preferred to let him tell in sim- 
ple phrase the strange story of his struggles and tri- 
umphs ; and if its perusal should give the reader half 
the pleasure it has been to me to prepare it for the 
press, I shall not have labored in vain. The book is 
intended to be a Memorial Volume^ and especially one 
to encourage young men who, under adverse circum- 
stances, are striving to qualify themselves to preach 
the gospel. Bro. Allen was always in warm and loving 
sympathy with these — so much so, that he was rightly 
called the young preacher's friend. 

It is a pleasure to say that such is the veneration of 
the publishers. The Guide Printing and Publishing 
Company, for the memory of our deceased brother, 



PREFACE. Vll. 

that but for them this tribute would hardly have ap- 
peared. With a generosity as rare as it is praise- 
worthy, they have undertaken to publish the work in 
the best style of their art, at a low price, and without 
any pecuniary risk to Sister Allen ; and, indeed, in all 
their transactions with her they have given abundant 
proof that men can carry into business the benevolent 
spirit of pure and undefiled religion. 

It only remains to be said that whatever profits 
arise from the sale of this book go to the wife and 
children of its lamented author, and that should suffi- 
cient encouragement be given, a companion volume 
containing the letters and miscellaneous productions of 

Ero. Allen may in due time be issued. 

The Editor. 
Lexington, Ky., May, 1887. 



CONTENTS. 

PART I.— AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Chapter I. 

Page. 
Birth and Ancestors. — FamilyK^irciimstances. — *'Fist and Skull" 

Entertainment. — Removal to Ohio and Return. — Fight with 

his Mother. — Gets Lost. — His Father Buys a Farm. — The 

"Improvements." — Plenty of Hard Work. — His Opinion of 

Work and of Play I 

Chapter II, 

His First School. — The School-house. — The Teacher. — The Order 
of Reciting. — Spelling Matches. — First Sweetheart. — Ex- 
tremes in Likes and Dislikes. — Fondness for Study. — Im- 
provement in Schools 7 

Chapter III. 

His Religious Experience. — Tries to be a Methodist. — Hopes to 
Become a Preacher. — Boy Preaching. — Attends a Sunday- 
school. — *' Chaws" Tobacco. — Goes to Love Feast. — Mourn- 
ers' Bench Experience. — Is Puzzled and Disgusted 12 

Chapter IV. 

Fun and Mischief. — His Little Cousin and the "Gnats." — The 
Aurora Borealis. — A Bumble-bee Scrape. — Another Bee 
Scrape. — Justification by Faith Alone. — Readiness to Fight. 
— Love of Justice. —No Surrender 17 

Chapter V. 

Given to Abstraction of Thought. — Cases in Point. — Opinion of 
Debating Societies. — Perseverance. — Consumption. — Endur- 
ance. — More Comfortable Home. — Death of his Father. — 
Love of Fashionable Amusements. — Meets his Future Wife. 
— Is Married. — Tribute to his Wife. — Her Father and 
Mother 25 



X. CONTENTS. 

Chapter VI. 

Goes to Housekeeping. — Discussions with Mr. Maddox. — Attends 
Meeting. — Is Baptized by William Tharp. — Double Damages 
for an Old Horse. — Begins Trading. — Moves to Floydsburg. 
Description of the Place 31 

Chapter VII. 

Tries to Become a Politician. — Fails. — Last Act as a Politician.— 
Tries to Join the Southern Army. — Fails Again. — His First 
Appointment. — Feeling of Responsibility. — His Plan. — 
Text. — Analysis of Sermon. — Buys a Family Bible. — Rules 
of Life 36 

Chapter VIII. 

Resolves to go to College. — Friends Oppose. — Wife Decides It. — 
Hard Living and Hard Work. — Impaired Health. — Preaches 
for his Home Church. — Father-in-lavi'^ Dies. — "Frank, Be a 
True Man." — House Robbed. — "Scraps." — College Inci- 
dents. — First Pay for Preaching. — Holds Several Meetings. — 
Dishonest Preacher 43 

Chapter IX. 

Leaves College. — Goes to Alexandria, Ky. — An Adventure in 
Ohio. — A Baby Jtot Baptized. — Peril in Crossing the River. — 
Opens his School. — Makes Some Money. — Buys a Nice 
Home 52 

Chapter X. 

Narrow Escapes. — Is Thrown from a Horse. — Has Pneumon-a. — 
Nearly Killed. — Self-possession. — Almost Drowned. — Eludes 
Angry Soldiers. — Reflections 5^ 

Chapter XI. 
He Abandons the School-room. — Remarkable Meeting near 
Alexandria. — Incidents. — Establishes a Church. — Mischief- 
making Preachers. — Long and Severe Attack of Typhoid 
Fever. — Does not Lose Hope. — Gratitude 65 

Chapter XII. 
Sells out at Alexandria. — Moves to Crittenden. — Preaches there 
and at Williamstown. — Low State of the-e Churches. — Plan 
of Work. — Memorizing in Sunday-school. — Lack of Church 



CONTENTS. Xi. 

Discipline. — One-Man System. — Moves to New Liberty. — 
Visits Mount Byrd 71 

Chapter XIII. 

History of the Mt. Byrd Church. — When Established. — Where. — 
Charter Members. — Officers. — Preachers. — Number of Mem- 
bers. — Three Things Contributing to its Prosperity. — New 
House of Worship. — Serious Trouble in the Church. — How 
Settled. — Method of Raising Money. — The Church Builds 
Allen a House. — Organizes a Sunday-school. — Plow it is 
Conducted 77 

Chapter XIV. 

He Moves to Mt. Byrd. — Debate with J. W. Fitch. — Preaches at 
Madison, Ind. — Protracted meetings at Columbia, Burksville, 
Thompson's Church, Dover, Germantown, Pleasant Hill, 
Burksville again, Beech Grove, Dover again 88 

Chapter XV. 

Begins Preaching at Beech Grove. — Debates with Elder Hiner. — 
Amusing Incident. — Holds Many Meetings. — Debates with 
Elder Frogge.-7-Debates again with Elder Hiner. — Repudi- 
ates Miller's Book. — Sick Again. — Holds more Meetings. ... 96 

Chapter XVI. 

Continues to Evangelize. — Dr. Cook's Prescription. — Incident at 
Glendale. — Peculiar Feature in the Meeting at Madisonville.— 
The Fractious Preacher at Sonora. — Closes his Evangelistic 
Labors. — Establishes the Old Path Guide. — ^The Bruner De- 
bate lOI 

Chapter XVII. 

Visits Midway. — Attends the Missouri State Convention. — Re- 
flections. — Annual Sermons. — Last Protracted Meeting. — 
Kindness of Mt. Byrd, Glendale and Smithfield Churches. — 
Gives up Office Work. — Goes to Eureka, 111. — Country 
Home. — Takes Cold at the Lexington Convention. — Goes 
to Florida 107 

Chapter XVIII. 

Organizes a Church at DeLand. — Health Improves. — Relapses. — 
Starts Home. — Resignation. — Sells His Interest in the 



Xli. CONTENTS. 

Guide. — Begins Writing again. — Attends Two Conventions. 

— Goes to Texas. — At Home again. — Works on II3 

Chapter XIX. 

Reflections on his Fiftieth Birthday. — What a Wonderful Being 
is Man ! — Governed, not by Instinct, but by Reason. — Man 
Lives by Deeds, not Years. — How to Grow Old. — Half of 
Life Spent in Satan's Service. — Renewed Consecration. — Last 
Three Birthdays.— His Trust in God Il8 

Chapter XX. 

Conclusion, by the Editor. — Tokens of Love from Many.— Keeps 
Writing. — Controversy with the :^tandard. — Last Meeting 
with His Mother. — Visited by Professors McGarvey and 
Graham. — Commits His Writings to the Latter. — Visits Emi- 
nence and Lexington. — Many Brethren Come to See Him. — 
Meeting at Mt. Byrd. — Estimate of His Character. — The 
Closing Scenes. — Farewell to His Family. — Dies. — Funeral 
Services 127 



PART II.— ADDRESSES. 

I. — Culture and Christianity: their Relation and Necessity. ... 137 

II. — Self-culture. i en 

III.— Plus Ultra vs. Ne Plus Ultra 17c 



PART III.— SELECTIONS. 

NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

I. — Christ the Lamb of God igo 

II. — Christ the Bread of Life 104 

III.— Christ the Water of Life 199 

IV. — Christ the Son of God 202 



CONTENTS. Xlll. 

V. — Christ the Son of Man 212 

VI.— Christ the Great Teacher 218 

VII, — Christ the Deliverer 223 

VIII. — Christ the Great Physician 230 

IX. — Christ Our Mediator 236 

X. — Christ Our Mediator (continued) 242 

XI.— Christ Our High Priest 249 

XII. — Christ Our Righteousness 254 



PART I.— AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



CHAPTER I. 

Birth and Ancestors. — Family Circumstances. — " Fist and Skull " En- 
tertainment. — Removal to Ohio and Return. — Fight with his 
Mother. — Gets Lost. — His Father Buys a Farm. — The "Improve- 
ments." — Plenty of Hard Work. — His Opinion of Work and of 
Play. 

I was born near La Grange, Oldham county, Ky., 
March 7, 1836. My father, Francis Myers Allen, was 
born in Brown county, Ohio, December 7, 1807. He 
was the son of Thomas Allen, who, in 18 12, when my 
father was only five years old, moved from Brown 
county, O., to Shelby county, Ky. , and lived on Little 
Bullskin, a few miles west of Shelby ville. 

My mother, Sarah A. Gibbs, was a daughter of 
James L. Gibbs and Mary Ashby, and was born in 
Loudoun county, Va. , April 6, 1808. The family 
moved from Virginia to Kentucky in 18 10, and lived 
in Shelbyville. 

My grandparents on both sides reared large families 
of industrious, thrifty children, and both grandfathers 
lived to be quite aged, my mother's father living to be 
nearly one hundred years old. 

My parents were married near Simpsonville, in 
Shelby county, April 9, 1829, and to them were born 



2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

thirteen children — five boys and eight girls — ten of 
whom lived to be grown. I was the fifth child — two 
boys and two girls being older. The oldest child, a 
boy, died in infancy. Being poor, both parents and 
children had to work hard and use strict economy to 
make ends meet. We all knew much of the toils and 
hardships of life, little of its luxuries. Both parents were 
blessed with good constitutions, and had fine native intel- 
lects, but they were uneducated save in the mere rudi- 
ments of the common school. They thought that "to 
read, write and cipher" as far as the single rule of 
three, was all the learning one needed for this life, un- 
less he was going to teach. If my father's mind had 
been trained, it would have been one of vast power. He 
was philosophical, a good reasoner, and possessed of 
unusual discrimination. He had also great coolness and 
self-possession in emergencies. 

In illustration of the latter statement, there recurs an 
incident in my father's life that will bear recital. In 
those old-fashioned days of **fist and skull" entertain- 
ments on public occasions, it was common for each 
county to have its bully. Oldham at different times 
had several — men of great muscular build and power, 
whose chief idea of fame was that they could ' ' whip 
anything in the county." My father was a small man, 
weighing only one hundred and thirty pounds, and of 
a peaceable disposition. Indeed, it was hard to pro- 
voke him to pugilistic measures. But circumstances 
caused one of these bullies to force a fight upon him at La 
Grange, in which the man was whipped so quickly and 
so badly that no one knew how it was done. The man 
himself accounted for it on the ground that " Mr. Allen 
came at me smiling." This caused one or two others, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 3 

at different times, to seek to immortalize themselves by 
doing what the first had failed to accomplish ; but with 
the same result. 

Being a farmer, my father was never without occu- 
pation, and he always had plenty for his boys to do ; 
hence I knew nothing but hard work on the farm, ex- 
cept a few school days in winter, from the time I could 
pull a weed out of a hill of corn till I reached my 
majority. 

In the fall after I was born my parents moved from 
the farm near La Grange to Brown county, O. , not far 
from Hamersville. There they remained a year ; but 
my mother being much dissatisfied, they moved to 
Floydsburg, Ky., and in the following spring, when I 
was two years old, returned to the old place where I was 
born. Here the memories of life begin. The incidents 
of daily life from this time forward are fresh in my 
memory to-day. Here I had my first and last fight with 
my mother. When I was three years old, my father, 
one day in June, was plowing corn in afield not far from 
the house. When he went out, after noon, I wanted to go 
with him. He took me behind him on the horse to the 
field. When we got there I wanted to come back. He 
brought me back. I then wanted to go to the field. He 
took me to the field. I then wanted to come back. He 
brought me back. I then wanted to go to the field, but he 
left me, telling my mother to take me in charge. Because 
she attempted to control me I began fighting her. She 
whipped me with a small switch, and I fought till I fell. 
Being completely exhausted, I begged my oldest sister 
to fight for me, and when she refused and I had recovered 
a little, I got up and went at it again. But when I fell 
the second time, I lay till they took me and put me to 



4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

bed, and there I remained several days. Though I did 
not surrender, I never afterwards felt disposed to renew 
the engagement. It was almost death to my mother, 
for she did not chastise me in anger; her firmness, how- 
ever, saved me. 

In the spring of 1840 we moved to a farm some two 
miles south of La Grange, on the road leading from that 
place to Ballardsville. Here we lived one year. Only 
one event worth naming occurred while we lived here. 
My mother took myself, an older sister, and a younger 
brother to visit a sister she had living in La Grange. It 
was a beautiful summer day, the roads were good, and we 
walked. My mother stopped at the house of a neighbor 
on the road side for a few minutes, and told us to go on, 
and be sure not to leave the road. With childish per- 
versity we thought the green fields better than the dusty 
road, and were soon into then^ It was not long till we 
were completely lost, and naturally wandered the wrong 
w^ay, not thinking to observe the sun and consider our 
course. So, when we did not put in an appearance, the 
whole neighborhood was aroused, and several hours of 
excitement followed before we were found. My sister 
Bettie, two years my senior, was captain of this expe- 
dition. 

In the spring of 1841 my father bought a farm of 
one hundred and twenty acres, lying about three miles 
southwest from La Grange. Most of the land was poor, 
and the ''improvements" equally so. The house was 
a hewed log cabin about 18x20 feet, with clap-board 
roof held down by weight poles, and the walls 
*' chinked " with mud. It had a large fire-place at one 
end, and a chimney made of slats and mortar, familiarly 
known as a ''stick" chimney. The only window was 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 5 

paneless, with a solid shutter hung on leather hinges, 
propped up with a stick, except when it was wanted 
down. The floors above and below, were of broad lum- 
ber, and laid loose. The door, when closed, was fastened 
with a big pin. A narrow porch ran along the front, 
connecting with another at one end of the house, be- 
tween it and the kitchen. This was large and of the 
same style of architecture as the house, but what that 
style was would puzzle any one to tell. These two 
rooms and porches, with the smoke-house and hen- 
house, constituted the "improvements" in that line. 
The out-buildings were stables and a crib, of round 
logs. The fences were all of rails, and inferior in kind. 
"Bars" and "slip-gaps" supplied the place of gates 
in some places, and in others the fences had to be often 
pulled down for lack of such conveniences. A fine 
spring gushed from the foot of a hill, one hundred yards 
in front of this humble abode. The location of dwell- 
ings, in that age and country, was determined almost 
exclusively by springs. Every other consideration 
yielded to this. 

Here we took up our abode in a home of our own 
in the spring of 1841, as above stated. The farm was 
afterwards enlarged by other purchases, and the original 
still remains in the family. The poverty of the soil, its 
tendency to produce briars, its large amount of heavy 
timber, with the clearing necessary to be done, made it 
a place specially favorable for the cultivation of indus- 
try. My father was one of those men who never ran 
short of work ; he always had plenty of it for himself 
and the whole family. Recreation was almost unknown, 
and we had hardly rest enough to secure good health. 
We were not of those who had to resort to base-ball 



O AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

and foot-ball for exercise ; it was ours to combine 
pleasure with profit, only the profit was more than the 
pleasure. There is no doubt that employment contrib- 
utes to health of both body and mind. Good blood, 
good thought and good morals are born of industry, 
provided it be not pushed to the extreme of exhaustion. 
Children and young people must have relaxation from 
toil, that both the physical and mental powers may re- 
cuperate ; but not much attention was paid to this be- 
neficent philosophy in my father's family. Had there 
been, it might have been better for at least some of his 
children in after years. There is a golden mean in this, 
as in other things, which parents sometimes miss in 
their blind adhesion to a false theory. Rest and labor 
are both appointments of God's benevolence. 



CHAPTER II. 

His First School. — The School-house.— The Teacher. — The Order of 
Reciting. — Spelling Matches. — First Sweetheart. — Extremes in 
Likes and Dislikes. — Fondness for Study. — Improvement in 
Schools. 

At the age of about seven I attended my first 
school. The house was on my father's farm, a half a 
mile from our dwelling. It was constructed of round 
logs, and had five corners — the fifth was formed 
at one end by having shorter logs laid from the corners 
at an obtuse angle, like the corner of a rail fence, and 
meeting in the middle. It was built up thus to the 
square, then the logs went straight across, forming the 
end for the roof to rest on ; consequently this fifth 
corner was open, and this was the fire-place. Stones 
laid with mud mortar were built in this corner, extend- 
ing several feet each way, and wood nearly as long as 
the breadth of the house would be filled in. The seats 
were split logs smoothed on the flat side, and sup- 
ported on legs put in with an auger. From these 
the feet of the children dangled early and late. There 
was no support for the back. The house had a dirt 
floor and a clap-board roof. Light was let in by cutting 
av/ay part of two logs in the end. A wide puncheon 
was fastened just below this for the writers, with a 
seat to correspond. During winter they pasted pa- 
per over these openings, and light for the rest of the 
school came down the chimney. 



8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

The first teacher we had was an old man by the 
name of Ballou. He lived on our place, not far from 
the school-house, and taught for several years. He 
was very poor, did poor teaching, and got poor pay. 
He was master of only reading, writing and ciphering. 

There were no classes in the school, and each one 
went it independently, studying what suited his taste and 
ability. Some read in the Testament, and others in any 
book they happened to have. In those days the rule 
was that those who got to school first "said first" — 
that is, they recited in the order in which they got to 
the house. This would sometimes get up a great 
rivalry, and I have known young men living two miles 
away to be at school before daylight. The whole day, 
except an hour at noon, was spent in saying lessons. 
The old teacher sat in his chair, and the pupils went to 
him one by one, in the order in which they got to the 
house, and said their lessons. When they got around, 
the same process was repeated. Sometimes between 
turns the old man would take a little nap, and then we 
all would have some fun. One more bold than the rest 
would tickle his bald head or his nose, and to see him 
scratching would afford us much amusement. 

Each Friday afternoon was spent in a spelling- 
match. Captains were chosen, and they would 
''choose up" till the school was divided into two 
classes. Beginning at the head, one of each class 
would stand up and spell, till one was '* turned down ;" 
then another took his place, and so on until all on one 
side were down. I began at this school in the alpha- 
bet, and the second winter I could spell almost every 
word in Webster's old Elementary Speller, If provided 
with a sharp knife, and a stick on which to whittle, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 9 

which the kind old man would allow, I could generally 
stand most of an afternoon without missing. Strange 
to say, after a few years, when I had given myself to 
the study of other things, it all went from me, and I 
have been a poor speller ever since. 

In this school I had my first sweetheart — a buxomx, 
jolly good girl, about six years my senior. To her I 
wrote my first love letter, and when it was done its 
chirography looked as if it had been struck by light- 
ning ; and I had to get an old bachelor friend to help 
me read it. Here I am reminded of an early tendency 
to extremes in my likes and dislikes. I had a race one 
morning with a girl whom I saw coming to school from 
an opposite direction, each striving to get into the 
house first. I clearly went in ahead, but she claimed 
the race and beat me out of it. From this on I had an 
extreme dislike for her. The spring to which we all 
had to go for a drink, was about a hundred yards from 
the house. The path to it passed through a broken 
place in a large log that lay across this path. In this I 
would never walk, nor would I pass through the gap, 
but would always climb over that big log. 

These school days were only during winter, after 
the crop was all gathered in and before spring work 
began. After I got large enough to help in winter 
work, my attendance was only ** semi-occasional." 
After a while a better school-house was built, a mile 
further away, and it was every way more comfortable, 
save that we had still the backless slab seats. Here I 
went at odd times in winter for several years. I had 
acquired a great fondness for reading, devouring every- 
thing in the way of books I could lay my hands upon. 
Especially I had a great passion for history, biography, 



10 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

geography, natural philosophy, and the like, and I let 
nothing escape me that the country afforded. I had no 
money to buy books, and had to depend on borrowing 
them. I soon went through arithmetic, grammar, and 
the history of the United States. This was more than 
my paterfamilias recognized as essential to a practical 
education, and hence he was not disposed to let me go 
to school as much as the other children, who gave 
themselves no concern about books out of school. The 
idea of one's going through grammar, philosophy, or 
more than half the arithmetic, " unless he was going 
to teach," he regarded as a waste of time. His con- 
ception of life and mine were so different that there was 
frequently more or less friction. It was decidedly un- 
pleasant from youth to manhood to be discouraged and 
opposed in my one absorbing passion for obtaining an 
education. My mother sympathized with me, but 
could not help me. The first dollar I ever made I 
spent for a book, and for this purpose I saved my 
hard-earned pennies. Midnight often found me poring 
over this book by the light of kindling prepared for 
the purpose. This was opposed ; and thus the struggle 
went on during my minority. 

I can not forbear, before closing this short chapter 
upon my school life, to allude to the great improve- 
ment in the matter of common schools since I was a 
boy. My native State, though sadly behind many of 
her younger sisters, has made some progress in this 
direction, and I can but hope this is only an earnest of 
what is to come. In a few favored localities, chiefly 
the cities, there is ample provision made for the educa- 
tion of the children of the people, but in the country 
districts much remains to be done before we are up 



FRANK G. ALLEN. II 

with the demands of the age in regard to the comfort 
of the pupils as well as the faciHties for the prosecution 
of their studies. We need more and better school- 
houses, better furniture, and more attractive surround- 
ings. Well qualified and earnest teachers are not yet 
as thick as blackberries in Kentucky. When as much 
attention is bestowed on these as on jockeys, and on 
our boys as on our horses, we shall be both richer and 
better. 



CHAPTER III. 

His Religious Experience. — Tries to be a Methodist. — Hopes to become 
a Preacher. — Boy Preaching. — Attends a Sunday-school. — * 'Chaws" 
Tobacco. — Goes to Love Feast. — Mourners' Bench Experience. — Is 
Puzzled and Disgusted. . 

My parents were Methodists, as were their ances- 
tors on both sides. My mother was uniformly re- 
Hgious, but not fussy about it. I have seen her in- 
tensely happy, but never heard her shout. Her religion 
was a deep, smooth, current without fluctuation My 
father was religious more by spells, but still he never went 
to extremes, and could never ' ' get religion ' ' at the altar, 
in the Methodist fashion. This lifelong failure of his 
discouraged him, causing him at times to become 
somewhat skeptical and indifferent. But he died, re- 
joicing in the faith of Christ as held by the Methodist 
Church. 

When about ten years of age I joined the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, South. A great revival was in 
progress at La Grange, and over one hundred persons 
united with the church. I enjoyed the services, and 
continued to do so for a number of years. Often in 
those early times I rode to meeting at surrounding 
churches and private dwellings on horseback behind 
my mother. I still remember, as vividly as if it 
were but yesterday, the texts and treatment of many 
of the sermons I heard. In later years I have fre- 
quently thought of the fallacies the preachers imposed 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 3 

upon US, and, I charitably believe, upon themselves, in 
these sermons, but which neither we nor they could de- 
tect for want of correct scriptural knowledge. The 
thought that I should one day become a preacher im- 
pressed me, and it clung to me for years. When after- 
wards I grew wild and wicked, this impression pos- 
sessed me, and many a time, when my good wife 
would rebuke me for my wickedness, I would say, 
" Never mind, dear; I '11 be a preacher yet." I had a 
high regard for preachers, and from early life was fond 
of their company ; and since I have become one my- 
self, the society of good, faithful men of God brings 
me as near heaven as I shall ever be in the flesh. 

It was a common thing with me, when I came home 
from meeting, to get up one of my own by gathering 
the children together and preaching to them the ser- 
mons I had heard ; and while these were not verbally 
correct, there was in them the substance of what the 
preachers had delivered. I would sing and pray, and 
go through the whole performance. I improvised a 
little pulpit, and had a church after my own notion ; 
I was a great plagiarist, and in this, too, I copied after 
some others. 

I attended the first Sunday-school I ever heard of; 
it was conducted by Floyd Wellman, a gentleman who 
afterwards became a prominent and honored citizen of 
Louisville. Sunday-schools were then poor things, as 
I fear many of them are yet. Little question-books, 
with the answers supplied, and reading-books, mostly 
about angelic boys and girls who died of early piety, 
furnished the staple of our reading, while but little 
of the Scriptures was taught, or thought about. 

To chew tobacco seemed to me to be manly ; so to 



14 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

let the people see I was thus far developed, I prepared 
me a rough twist of "long green ;" this I stuck in my 
pantaloons pocket, for the occasion, and when every- 
thing was propitious in the Sunday-school, I drew out 
the twist and bit off a *'chaw/' It raised quite a 
laugh, in which the superintendent himself joined ; 
and this ended for life my chewing tobacco to be seen 
of men. 

I often went with my parents to "love feast." At 
the first of these which I attended I had an experience 
of my own. The light-bread was cut into slips about 
two inches long and a half an inch wide and thick. 
Some of these were then divided into small pieces. On 
the plate which was passed around were two long 
pieces, and I concluded that if there was any virtue in 
the thing it would be enhanced by my taking a long 
one ; but when I discovered that all the rest had taken 
but a bite my philosophy failed, and I hid the re- 
mainder where Rachel hid the gods of her father 
Laban. 

When about fifteen years of age the Methodists 
had a big revival at Mount Tabor, a neighboring coun- 
try church. In this meeting a great many of my 
friends and companions were "getting religion " at the 
altar of prayer. I became intensely desirous of the 
same blessing, and in great anxiety and hopefulness I 
went to the altar. Day after day did I go, but only to 
be disappointed. Every time some would "get 
through," and there would be great rejoicing, till only 
one young man and myself were left. The whole 
power of the church was then concentrated on us, but 
to no purpose. In this extremity I began to reason 
about it as I had not done before. I had been taught 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 5 

that "God was no respecter of persons; but that in 
every nation he that feareth him, and worketh right- 
eousness, is accepted with him." My soul ever 
recoiled from the idea of His decreeing some men to 
salvation and others to damnation, irrespective of 
their own will and conduct. Here, now, I was as 
helpless as a stone till God should do this work of 
grace for me. Why would he send down the Holy 
Spirit and convert one on my right, another on my left, 
till the "bench" was vacant, and not convert me? 
The preachers were praying for Him to do it ; my 
father and mother were praying earnestly for it ; the 
whole church were pleading with Him, and yet He 
would not do it. I knew I was a sinner ; that I wanted 
salvation ; that I was sincere, earnest as the others 
could be : but all this availed nothing. The preachers 
tried to explain the failure on the ground that I was 
still clinging to the world and my own righteousness ; 
that I had not given my heart wholly to God, etc. 
This I knew to be false. I concluded that if a poor, 
penitent, agonizing sinner with all his prayers and 
pleadings, with the whole church earnestly cooperating, 
could not induce God to save him, he might just as well 
be decreed to damnation from all eternity. With these 
reflections I left the mourners' bench in disgust, and 
ever since I have had for it an inexpressible contempt. 
Time and observation have confirmed me in this feel- 
ing ; and while I cherish a sincere respect for those who 
in ignorance think it is a divine arrangement, and that 
in resorting to it they are obeying a command of God, 
I have none for those who, knowing better, still use it 
as a means of conversion. As often employed by pro- 
fessional evangelists, there is so much of clap-trap that 



1 6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

it must bring the whole subject of rehgion into con- 
tempt with sensible people. It is amazing to me that, 
in view of its entire lack of Scripture precept or exam- 
ple, the light and knowledge of this day, and its fre- 
quent failures, it, and the whole system of which it is 
an essential part, are not laid aside. 

Having been taught that Methodism and Christian- 
ity were identical, and having completely lost faith in 
the former, it was natural enough that I should become 
skeptical as to the latter. Only a lingering suspicion 
that after all they might be different, saved me from 
hopeless infidelity ; and had I not in after years learned 
such to be the case, I should have lived and died in re- 
bellion against God. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Fun and Mischief. — His Little Cousin and the "Gnats." — The Aurora 
Borealis. — A Bumble-bee Scrape. — Another Bee Scrape. — Justifi- 
cation by Faith alone. — Readiness to Fight. — Love of Justice. — 
No Surrender. 

When a boy, I was as full of fun and mischief as an 
egg is of meat, and I have never got rid of it. With a 
younger brother and a neighbor boy of my own age, 
equally mischievous with myself, there was hardly a 
thing in the way of fun and frolic that we were not con- 
tinually into. Hunting rabbits was our chief sport, and, 
when we got larger, coons, 'possums and the like at 
night. There was not a tree of any peculiarity, or a 
hole in the ground, for miles around, that we did not 
know all about. We knew, also, every fruit tree, from 
the apple to the black-haw or persimmon in the same 
territory, and the time they were ready for company ; 
and we never failed to pay our respects to them all in 
due time. I would not mention many of the bad things 
of my early life ; but that is the way the Bible does with 
its heroes, and the Bible is always a safe guide to 
follow. 

About all the money we made in our boyhood days 

was from the sale of nuts and the flesh and skins of the 

animals we caught during the fall and winter. This was 

my way of getting books, maps, etc., to help me in my 

studies. I was the recognized leader in all the mischief 

we did, and many prophecies were made that I should 

17 



1 8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

one day be hanged, and in this anticipation my father 
fully shared. My younger brother and I were constantly 
playing practical jokes on each other, and often upon 
others. We never became offended, though the pranks 
were sometimes exceedingly rough ; but we were always 
watching an opportunity to **get even." I will relate 
a few as samples, while others are too bad to tell. 

On one occasion some cousins and their children 
visited us from Shelby county. They were considered 
quite wealthy for that time. Their little boy was 
dressed in very fine clothes, at least, in our estimation, 
and we concluded he was putting on airs. We thought 
we would do him a valuable service by taking him down 
a little, so we asked him if he had ever seen a singular 
kind of gnat, which we described. He had not. We 
proposed to show him a fine lot- — a big nest of them. 
We affirmed that they were nice, harmless things to 
play with. So we went forth to see the gnats. We got 
him to the nest and stirred them up, and in a few min- 
utes the innocent, unsuspecting boy was covered with 
yellow jackets. Of course, he ran to the house scream- 
ing, and they had a time in getting them off of him. 
He was badly stung, but we made it appear that we had 
gone down there to fight them, which was a favorite 
pastime with us, and that he got too near the nest. 
Thus we escaped a well-merited whipping. 

About the same time in life my younger brother and 
I caught a rabbit and dressed it for breakfast. It was 
Saturday afternoon, and father and mother had gone to 
her father's, some six miles away, to stay till the next 
evening. That night the aurora borealis was unusually 
bright, and as the excitement of Millerism had not died 
away, there was much talk of the world's coming to an 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 



19 



end. My oldest sister, Mary, was getting supper ready 
and was greatly alarmed. She would go out and watch 
the sky, and then go back to see about the supper. 
Finally I said, "Mary, do you really think the world 
will come to an end before morning?" '' I do believe 
it will, " said she. ' * Then, " said I, ''we must have the 
rabbit for supper.'' I had no notion of losing my rabbit 
by such a trifling circumstance as that. 

Later in life, when old enough to work in the harvest 
field, we had a neighbor who was very "close," and 
we never had any fancy for him. He was always boast- 
ing of his ability to work with bees. One year he had 
a large harvest, and many hands employed, and we 
were helping him. One day we told him we had found 
a fine bee tree which could be cut down in a few min- 
utes, and that if he would go and take the honey he 
might have it all except what we could eat. He was 
delighted with the proposal, so after supper a number 
of us started for the bee tree, a mile and a half from 
his house. In a dense forest. He had several buckets 
prepared to secure a large amount of honey. When 
we began to chop, the bees began to roar, and our 
friend was frantic with delight. Soon the tree fell, and 
he "waded in" with his axe and buckets to get the 
luscious spoil. As he went in we went out, and soon 
he discovered himself in a big bumble-bees' nest alone 
with all his buckets, etc., a mile and a half from home! 
We saw no more of him that night, and did not care 
to meet him next day. 

This reminds me of another bee scrape, in which 
my father figured largely. He prided himself on being 
able to handle bees as so many flies. On a cool, drizzly 
day we cut a bee tree on the farm. I was wearing a 



20 . AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

brown jeans sack coat. This I laid aside while chopping. 
When the tree fell the bees swarmed forth in great 
numbers, and my father stalked in with his axe, chipping 
and cutting the limbs, preparatory to chopping for the 
honey, and was as indifferent as if surrounded only by 
gnats. We stood at a safe distance. Soon he came 
out with a trifle less indifference than he went in with, 
picking the bees out of his hair with both hands. They 
had literally settled on his head and were stinging him 
furiously. He came running to us to fight them off. I 
grabbed up my coat, and with both hands struck him 
over the head. A large jack-knife, very heavy, was 
in one of the pockets, and this struck him on the op- 
posite side of the head and came near felling him to 
the ground. We fought the bees off the best we could, 
but he was terribly stung. This was the last of his 
working with bees as with flies. 

My father was a firm believer in the doctrine of jus- 
tification by faith alone. All those passages of Scrip- 
ture that connect justification or salvation with faith, 
without mentioning anything else as a condition, he had 
at his tongue's end. His argument was, whatever may 
be mentioned elsewhere, here salvation is promised on 
the condition of faith, and nothing else is in the text. 
With all this I had become perfectly familiar, and always 
had a suspicion that there was a fallacy in it some where, 
though I could not exactly expose it. We were clear- 
ing a piece of new ground in April, about the time the 
spring fever sets in, and my younger brother and I al- 
ways ''had it bad." It was a Monday morning, and 
father was going to La Grange to attend court. At 
breakfast he gave us very particular instructions about 
our work — what to do and how to do it — and a feature 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 21 

emphasized was that we were to keep at it. It was 
getting quite dry, and when he had started to town he 
hallooed back and said, "Boys, I want you to watch 
the fire to-day and not let it get out." ** All right," 
we responded. His two directions, perhaps not an hour 
apart, reminded me of his theology, and I resolved at 
once to test its validity when weighed in his own scales. 
So we went out to the clearing, lay down under the 
shade of a tree, and ** watched the fire" all day! 
Having returned, he asked us how we had got along. 
We replied, *' Finely," that we had done what he told 
us; but when he came to "view the landscape o'er," 
we had to give an account for the deeds done in the 
body, or, rather, not done. I told him that his specific 
instruction was to watch the fire. " But," said he, " I 
told you before that, that you were to do the work." 
' * Yes, " I replied, ' ' but the last time you said anything 
about it you did not allude to the work ; but only to 
watch the fire. There was no work in the text." How- 
ever, he was by no means disposed to look upon that as 
favorably as upon justification by faith only, which rests 
on the same principle. Still it opened his eyes to a fal- 
lacy in his argument that he had not seen before. 

I generally lived in peace and good will with all the 
boys in the neighborhood, but a few times in my life 
feeHng imposed on, or that some one else was, I got 
into fights, and always with those older and stronger 
than myself. I had learned something of the secret of 
success in that line from what I had heard said of my 
father. This often gave me a victory quite unlooked 
for. I would fight the best friend I had in the world if 
he imposed on one unable to cope with him. I had a 
companion much stronger than I, and inclined to be 



22 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

overbearing. On one occasion, at a corn husking, he 
tried to force a fight on a boy smaller than himself. 
When I saw he was quite determined about it, while 
the other boy was trying to avoid it, I said, "Jim, you 
and I are good friends. I have nothing against you in 
the world. I like you, but you can 't fight that boy. 
If you fight any body you will have to fight me. I 
don't want any quarrel with you, nor do I want to hurt 
you, but if nothing but a fight will do you, that 's just 
the way it has to be done." When he saw I was in 
earnest, the matter was dropped, and our friendship 
continued. 

I was severely tried on one occasion. My older 
brother had a falling out with a neighbor, and we three 
were alone in the woods. I had a dislike for the man, 
as much as my brother had. He was boastful, bigoted 
and disagreeable. But in this particular case I sav/ 
clearly that my brother was in the wrong. I felt com- 
pelled, therefore, to take sides with the other man. At 
this my brother was deeply offended, and it took him 
a long time to get over it. He did not see his wrong, 
and thought my conduct very strange and unnatural, 
especially as I did not like the man. I deplored this, 
but could not yield the principle of holding justice 
superior to persons. 

One of my difficulties was so peculiar that I will 
recount it. It was in the winter, and the ground was 
frozen deep. The day was bright, and on the south 
hillsides the ground had thawed to the depth of two or 
three inches. Several boys were together, and one of 
them several years older than I. He was a son of one 
of our tenants, and entirely too proud for one in his 
condition. He was imposing on my younger brother, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2$ 

and I gave him to understand he must not do that. 
With this he turned upon me. We were upon a south 
hillside, under a large beech tree, and the ground was 
thawed on top and frozen beneath. About the first 
pass I slipped on a root concealed in the mud, and fell 
on my back, with my shoulders wedged between two 
projecting roots and my head against the tree. I was 
utterly powerless. After pommeling me a while, he 
proposed to let me up if I would say "enough." This 
I declined to do. Then he would renew the operation, 
and then the proposition. The sun was three hours 
high, no one interfered, and I insisted that they should 
not. Sometimes he would lie upon me and talk for half 
an hour or more ; he would argue the case, remind me of 
my helplessness, and that it would be death to lie there 
on the frozen ground till night. Then when his advice 
all failed, he would renew hostilities. Thus it continued 
till sundown. As the sun got low he changed his pro- 
posal. He would now let me up if I would promise to 
make friends, and not fight him. This I also declined. 
Finally, when he saw that nothing would avail, he gave 
me a few parting salutes, and, springing to his feet, ran 
away. Before I could get up he had such a start that 
I could not overtake him. For some time I watched 
for a chance to pay him back, but he kept out of my 
sight ; and soon after his folks moved away, and thus 
the matter ended. 

From my infancy it has been my disposition to stick 
to my convictions till I saw I was in the wrong. I can 
not say that I am obstinate, though it may have that 
appearance to others. I never could yield a point for 
policy's sake, though my adherence to my convictions 
has cost me a good deal. This led me early in life to 



24 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

be careful in coming to a conclusion, and I have always 
admired Davy Crockett's motto, ''Be sure you're 
right, and then go ahead." I commend this home- 
made philosophy to all who may read this chapter. 



CHAPTER V. 

Given to Abstraction of Thought. — Cases in Point. — Opinion of De- 
bating Societies. — Perseverance. — Consumption. — Endurance. — 
More Comfortable home. — Death of his Father. — Lo\ e of Fashion- 
able Amusements. — Meets his Future Wife. — Is Married. — Tribute 
to his Wife. — Her Father and Mother. 

, During early life I was much given to abstraction 
of thought, and I am still down with the same disease. 
From morning till night, between the plow-handles or 
swinging the maul, I was absorbed in reflection. My 
reading and other studies raised many questions that I 
sought to find out. Natural philosophy and the ele- 
ments of astronomy were subjects of peculiar delight, 
and would cause me to become oblivious of all sur- 
roundings. This frequently got me into trouble. It 
vexed my father very much that my mind was not more 
on my work, and he had but little patience with me. 
When about the house I would often realize that I had 
been told to do something, and I would start at once 
about it, and perchance when I came to myself I would 
find that I was at the barn or spring, wholly forgetful 
of what I had been told to do. On one occasion I was 
told to go to the lot and catch a horse and come to the 
crib, and my father would put the sack on for me, and 
I was to go to mill. I went and caught the horse, got 
on and went, but when I arrived the mill was in ashes ; 
it was just through burning. On my return I saw that 
my father was not as serene as a May morning. But 



26 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

not till he spoke of it did I discover that I had gone off 
without the sack. I at once taxed my eloquence to 
give a glowing account of the fire, and thus divert his 
attention from my neglect. 

Many a time have I acted ridiculously on account 
of this absorption of thought. While at Eminence 
College, there was a public exhibition one evening in 
the chapel. A few minutes before it began I went into 
the room of Prof. Henry Giltner, just across the hall 
from the chapel, and here I saw McGarvey's *' Com- 
mentary on Acts " for the first time. I thought I 
would look into it for a moment before the exercises 
should begin ; and that was the last I thought of the 
exhibition till some one came into the room just before 
its close, hunting for me. 

One more instance of this nature must suffice. 
About 1872, I was holding a very successful meeting at 
Burksville, on the Cumberland river, and while I was 
preaching one night there came up a terrific thunder- 
storm, with vivid lightning and hard rain. A young 
man occupied a front seat who had just been reclaimed 
from a life of sin, and who is now a preacher. I had 
a faint recollection of seeing him leave the house. He 
had become alarmed at the storm and left, but I knew 
nothing of the confusion till the services closed. 

Every fall and winter we would have debating soci- 
eties at the school-house, and at these, men of consid- 
erable attainments would be present and participate — 
teachers, preachers, and lawyers. In these I took a 
deep interest. My reading enabled me to become well 
posted on most of the questions discussed ; and by 
careful preparation I soon came to be recognized as a 
good debater for one of my age. These discussions 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2/ 

were of great advantage to me, and I am clearly of 
opinion that debating societies, when properly con- 
ducted, can be made useful to aspiring young men. 

From childhood my under front teeth passed up on 
the outside, and, when a good sized boy, I concluded 
that that was not just the right thing, and that I would 
bring them into their proper place. By an effort in 
drawing back my under jaw, I could barely get the 
edges to so pass as to make a pressure of any value. 
But with this slight purchase the operation was contin- 
ued from day to day, till the work was accomplished. 
The teeth became very sore from pressure, and the 
muscles of the jaw very tired from the unnatural 
strain, but in about ten days it was all over, and the 
job complete for life. 

Another case required much greater perseverance. 
My older brother was very hollow-chested, and died 
of consumption ; several others of the family were 
afflicted in like manner, and met the same fate. When 
about sixteen, I had strong tendencies in that direction. 
My chest was becoming " hollow," and I decided upon 
an effort to counteract it. To this end I slept on my 
back with no pillow under my head, and a good-sized 
one under my chest. I would awake of a morning 
feeling almost too dignified to bend forward. This I 
kept up for two years, holding myself erect during the 
day, till my chest expanded and the threatening trouble 
was overcome. But for that I should have been in my 
grave long ago. The simple fact is, I have been fight- 
ing consumption since I was sixteen years of age. 

While I was never robust in health or appearance, 
I was exceedingly tough, and had great power of en- 
durance. One of my physicians told me long ago that 



28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

in all his practice he had never seen anything that 
would compare with it. This enabled me to do as 
much work as men of much greater strength. In those 
days reapers were generally unknown in our country, 
and the grain was all "cradled." At this I was an 
adept, never meeting any one that could excel me. 
The same was true of jumping and running foot races. 
Hundreds of men could no doubt beat me, but I never 
happened to meet them. I kept up these exercises till 
I left college. 

When I was about twelve years of age my father 
built a large and comfortable house on another part of 
his farm. It was of hewed logs, and a story and a half 
high, with a large kitchen and dining-room, porches, 
etc. It was subsequently weather-boarded, and it is 
still a comfortable, commodious dwelling, owned by my 
mother, who never left it till her children all married 
and went to themselves. Father died of typhoid fever 
in i860, in the fifty-third year of his age. He left my 
mother in comparatively easy circumstances, with 
nearly three hundred acres of land, plenty of stock, 
and a considerable amount of money on interest. By 
industry and economy on the part of himself and the 
whole family this property was accumulated, and he 
died in the assurance that with prudence on our part 
we could all make a respectable living. My mother 
now makes her home with her oldest daughter, Mary 
Crenshaw, wife of Mr. O. B. Crenshaw, a few miles 
north of Simpsonville, Shelby county, Ky. She waits 
in confident expectation that before long she too will 
depart to be with Christ and His redeemed, where the 
families of his saints will be reunited for ever. 

After I grew to be a young man, I became very 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2g 

fond of fashionable amusements ; I liked dancing, and 
went far and near to engage in the fascinating exercise. 
I gave a great deal of attention to dress ; priding my- 
self on being a gentleman ; hence I found a welcome 
in the best society. In those years of wildness and 
wickedness, some things I was careful to avoid. I 
never learned to play cards, to gamble, or to tolerate 
the company of immodest women. For the latter I 
had an invincible repugnance that grew stronger with 
my years. 

In the summer of 1855, while harvesting for her 
uncle, I first met at the dinner-table Miss Jennie Mad- 
dox, the lady whom I afterwards married. I looked as 
rough and unprepossessing that day as she ever saw me 
afterwards. I was as brown as a Florida *' cracker, " 
and my dress was anything but elegant. Had I antici- 
pated the forming of such a captivating acquaintance, 
I should have made some preparation, but I was caught, 
and I had to make the best of it. We were married 
September 11, 1856; I was twenty years and a half 
old ; she ten months younger. From that time to 
this she has been a loving, faithful wife, prudent in all 
things, industrious and frugal, caring for me and her 
children ; and, above all, a consistent disciple of Jesus 
Christ, whom she had obeyed several years before our 
marriage. When we first met I thought her very 
handsome ; she was rather small, had auburn hair, blue 
eyes and fair skin. 

"And to-day you are fairer to me, Jennie, 
Than when you and I were young." 

As to myself, I was six feet one inch in height, 
weighed a hundred and forty pounds, had brown eyes^ 



30 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

and was, and am still, of a nervous-bilious tempera- 
ment. My complexion was then, as now, very dark. 

My wife's father, G. W. Maddox, was an elder in 
the Pleasant Hill church, Oldham county, Ky., near 
which he lived. The church is about two miles south- 
east of Baird's Station, on the Louisville & Lexington 
Railroad, He was a man of a firm logical mind, good 
general information, and more intelligent in the Scrip- 
tures than any man I ever met, outside of the ministry. 
I have heard several preachers make the same remark. 
He was, however, a timid man, and it was difficult to get 
much out of him in public. He began too late in life, 
and had no training in that direction. But he was 
a very popular man, both in and out of the church, 
and his counsel was generally taken. His wife was a 
timid, unassuming, good woman, very conscientious 
and religious. They reared a family of six girls and 
one boy, all of whom obeyed the gospel in good time. 
I myself baptized several of them. 

My father-in-law and I soon became very much 
attached to each other, fond of each other's company, 
and I loved him as I loved few others. His fine infor- 
mation, philosophic Christian spirit and wonderful self- 
control first won my admiration, and this ripened into 
the strongest friendship. He, more than all other 
men, caused me to see the error of my way. We 
spent the first winter of our married life in his pious 
home, and this gave us much time for investigation 
and conversation upon the subject of religion. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Goes to Housekeeping. — Discussions with Mr. Maddox. — Attends 
Meeting. — Is Baptized by William Tharp. — Double Damages for 
an Old Horse. — Begins Trading. — Moves to Floydsburg. — De- 
scription of the Place. 

In the spring of 1857 we moved to a place on Cur- 
rie's Fork, near Centerfield, about a mile and a half 
from my former home and a little farther from hers. 
So it will be seen I married only a few miles from 
home. It may seem a little strange that we grew up 
in the same neighborhood, and knew nothing of each 
other till a year before we were married. But I rarely 
went to her church, and she as rarely went anywhere else. 
Our religious proclivities led us in different directions, 
and into different society. I had been taught to look upon 
* * Campbellism " as the most miserable of all heresies; 
and till I began to visit at the Maddox house I was 
seldom in the company of '* that deluded people." 

After moving to ourselves, we went nearly every 

Lord's day to the home of my wife's father, and this 

for several reasons : she wanted to attend her church, 

and this took her virtually home : this she enjoyed, and 

so did I. The old folks could not visit us on that day 

without missing church, and this they would not do. 

Mr. Maddox and I still engaged in the investigation of 

Methodism, *' Campbellism " and Infidelity. I could 

feel the ground gradually giving way under me, but I 

was resolved upon thoroughly testing every inch, and 

31 



32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

not yielding till I should become satisfied as to the 
truth of all his positions. I would therefore study all 
week and arrange my arguments with the utmost care, 
and when the time seemed propitious I would present 
them as forcibly as I could. He would never say a 
word till I was through; then he would say, ** Well! 
now let us test that." Then he would very calmly 
and pleasantly pick the thing all to pieces, till I could 
see nothing but shreds. With a mere touch, my care- 
fully built structure would tumble like a cob house. 
Thus the work went on for years. In the meantime I 
attended meeting with my wife nearly every Lord's 
day, and heard much good preaching. Every import- 
ant point in the sermon would be afterward investi- 
gated, and, like the noble Bereans, I searched the 
Scriptures daily, " to see whether those things were 
so." 

During these years several successful meetings were 
held at the church, all of which I closely attended. 
One of these was conducted by John A. Brooks, and 
another by the lamented Simeon King. At the latter 
I came very near yielding to Christ, but persuaded 
myself that all was not yet ready. I delighted to see 
others obey the Lord, and enjoy the blessings of his 
religion, but I could not exactly see the way clear for 
myself In spite of a more enlightened judgment, I 
would find some of my old erroneous notions clinging 
to me. I had a high regard for the church, and loved 
the company of its good members, and only a supreme 
carefulness, born of former blunders, kept me in diso- 
bedience. 

In May, 1861, William Tharp and Wallace Cox 
were holding a meeting, and at this I confessed Christ, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 33 

and was immersed by Bro. Tharp. My doubts as to 
the truth of the Christian reHgion and the way of sal- 
vation therein, had all been removed ; and to this day 
not a shadow of a doubt has crossed my mind as to 
either. I now experienced a peace of conscience that 
I had not known since my thought was first disturbed 
in regard to the right way of the Lord. 

I farmed for three years after marriage. The last 
year, we lived on the railroad just below Buckner's 
Station, and while here I had a little experience wdth 
the railroad company that teaches a lesson worth 
learning. I had an old horse, of not much value, but 
useful to me ; he got out upon the road, and was killed 
by a passing train. I spoke of going to Louisville, to 
see if I could not get pay for it. The neighbors dis- 
couraged the idea, saying it would be useless. They 
cited a number of instances where stock had been 
killed, and in no case had any one obtained damages. 
But I went, found the Superintendent, and to him I 
made my speech of about three minutes' length. At 
its conclusion, he asked me if seventy-five dollars 
would satisfy me ; and on my replying that it would, 
he handed me the money. He then remarked that the 
reason people got nothing in such cases, was because 
of the spirit in which they came and the way they 
talked about it. I left him feeling quite pleasant, for 
it was more than double the animal was worth. This 
was before I became an adept in Christian ethics. 

In the fall of 1859 I began trading, having obtained 
an interest in a country store at a little place called 
Centerfield. We moved to the place, and I began to 
haul country produce to Louisville. I had a team 
which was said to be the best that came into the city, 



34 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

and I made weekly trips, bringing back merchandise. 
This I continued for three years, without the least re- 
gard to weather, and with scarcely a failure during the 
whole time. This employment threw me into rough 
associations in the city every week. Many engaged in 
like business from Kentucky and Indiana stopped at 
the same tavern, and most of them were given to dis- 
sipation. At home it was predicted that with my 
inclination to wildness this would finish me ; and while 
truth compels me to confess that I often had ** a jolly 
good time " with ** the boys," the excess of wickedness 
I saw had an opposite effect, and I came out at last a 
preacher. 

The next year we moved to Floydsburg, sixteen 
miles from Louisville, because, as I did not stay in the 
store, but did the hauling back and forth, it was a bet- 
ter location for us. It is an old town, in which my 
maternal grandfather lived before I was born, in which 
I spent much time before I was old enough to work, 
and around which cluster the earliest memories of life. 
It was once a place of large business, on the main road 
from Henry and adjacent counties to Louisville, and in 
ante-railroad times a large amount of wagoning was 
done through the place. At certain seasons great 
droves of cattle and hogs were driven through it, and 
everything was lively ; besides, it had a good trade 
with the country around. But the Louisville & Lex- 
ington Railroad, which runs within a mile of the town, 
killed it as dead as an Egyptian mummy, because all 
this through business was taken by the railroad, and 
the surrounding trade went to the stations or to the 
city. It is, therefore, a quiet, undisturbed little place 
to live in, if one is not dependent upon making his ex- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 35 

penses there. Most of the old citizens, business men 
of its pro3perous days, have passed away, and the 
town has the appearance of being at their funeral. 

As far back as I recollect, and I know not how 
much farther, it had in it one church, built of stone, 
small, and with a roof as sharp as the best present- 
ations of Methodism that were ever set forth in it. 
About 1850, this ancient structure was replaced by one 
of brick, of good size, but poorly furnished. This is 
the only church that has ever been in the place ; and 
while the people have been unusually quiet and moral, 
they have never been burdened with religion. There 
is a graveyard in the rear of the house, opened, 
perhaps, when the first building was erected, and in 
this silent spot sleep many of my friends and relatives. 
I have never thought it made much difference where 
one is buried — and in this I suppose I agree with most 
Protestants — but it is one proof of the improved taste 
of the age to see the care now taken of our cemeteries. 
Such places were unknown when I was a boy and 
where I hved, and even yet, outside of our cities and 
larger towns, they are too rare. Every village should 
have a neat and well-kept cemetery, to take the place 
of the neglected old burying-grounds where, 

*' Each in his narrow cell forever laid, 
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." 



CHAPTER VII. 

Tries to Become a Politician. — Fails. — Last Act as a Politician. — Tries 
to Join the Southern Army. — Fails Again. — His First Appoint* 
ment. — Feeling of Responsibility. — His Plan. — Text. — Analysis of 
Sermon. — Buys a Family Bible. — Rules of Life. 

When I obeyed the Saviour, the brethren urged me 
to begin at once to preach the gospel. I had been ac- 
customed to making poUtical speeches, and pubHc 
addresses of different kinds, and they thought I could 
just as easily preach a sermon as to make a speech on 
any other subject. But I was not thus inclined. I 
had political aspirations, and was not disposed to give 
them up. My idea was, that I could have a good in- 
fluence on public men, in conversation and association, 
by being a faithful and consistent Christian. I regarded 
this as a field in which the influence of Christianity 
was much needed ; and I decided to make this a spe- 
cialty, while leading a public political life. But it did 
not take long for me to learn that there was at least 
a strong probability that the influence would go the 
other way. However successfully some men may be 
politicians and Christians both, I soon discovered that, 
with my temperament, the two things would not work 
harmoniously together. I concluded that if I continued 
in politics I would be a very sorry kind of Christian, 
if one at all. For a thing of this kind I had a deep 
repugnance. The issue, then, as it appeared to me, 
was finally forced upon me : Shall I give up politics or 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 3/ 

Christianity ? Of course I was not compelled to give up 
Christianity in theory, but I felt that I would virtually 
do so in practice ; and with me the difference between 
the two was hardly worth considering. While I felt 
that it was a great sacrifice, in a worldly point of view, 
to give up the golden dreams of a brilliant future, I 
decided in favor of Christ and the Bible. I shall never 
cease to thank God for the decision. 

My last act in political life was attending, as a dele- 
gate, a State Convention at Frankfort, in August, 
1 86 1. This was, in some respects, a miserable affair, 
and I became thoroughly disgusted with politics and 
politicians, such as seemed to be pushing to the front, 
and crowding modesty and decency and honesty out of 
sight. I decided that that kind of association, that 
kind of companionship in the profession, that kind of 
trickery and treachery as food for daily thought, how- 
ever successful one might be, was disgusting and debas- 
ing. I went home from the convention determined 
upon a clear cut-loose from the whole concern. 

During the convention. Gen. Wm. Preston re- 
marked in a speech that in one year from that day, 
" the stars and bars " would be waving from the dome 
of that capitol. In twelve months to a day, I went to 
Frankfort to see the Board of the Christian Education 
Society, about assisting me in college. The railroad 
was not in use, and I went by way of the Shelbyville 
pike. When I got in sight of the city, I saw ''the 
stars and bars " waving from the dome of the capi- 
tol ! Gen Kirby Smith had possession. 

When the brethren learned of m}^ determination to 
give up politics, they renewed their solicitations in re- 
gard to my preaching. But I had become intensely 



38 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

concerned about the cause of the Southern Confed- 
eracy, and longed to take a part in what I then con- 
sidered her struggle for independence and justice. In 
my misguided zeal, I regarded this a duty that patriot- 
ism would not allow me to exchange for anything till 
it was performed. Then, if spared, my life-work 
should be begun. A peculiar circumstance, greatly 
lamented at the time, kept me out of the Southern 
army. But I have long regarded it as a special provi- 
dence of God. 

I was an officer in a large cavalry company under 
the training of Col. J. W. Griffith. He had fought 
through the Mexican war, was an intelligent man, and 
a good soldier. He also fought through the late war, 
and was several times promoted. We had been drill- 
ing for some weeks, and the time was set for our 
departure. I had a good deal of unsettled business at 
Louisville, and went to the city to settle it up. Dur- 
ing my absence the Federal authorities of Louisville 
were apprised, in some way, of the movements and pur- 
poses of our men, and two companies of cavalry were sent 
out to intercept them. Our men were notified of this, 
and went twenty-four hours in advance of the set time. 
Of all this I knew nothing, and when I got home the 
company was gone. I knew not which way it had 
taken, for our Colonel kept his own counsel. When 
night came I left home, determined upon an earnest 
effort to find the trail of the company and follow them. 
Twice I came near being caught by the soldiers in pur- 
suit, and after a night's fruitless search, I was compelled 
to return disappointed. I had not another oppor- 
tunity, and ere long I gave up the vain idea. But for that 
disappointment I should have gone into the Southern 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 39 

army; and what the result would have been will re- 
main a secret till the day in which the results of all 
contins^encies are known. But it is highly improbable 
that I should have ever become a preacher of the gospel of 
the grace of God. Thank Him for the providence that 
overruled me ! 

I finally yielded to the importunities of the breth- 
ren, and allowed them to make an appointment. This 
was in May, 1862, one year after making the confession. 
The meeting was announced two weeks ahead. It was 
a fine day, and through curiosity a great crowd assem- 
bled. I had never been in the pulpit before, nor made 
any remarks in the church except to pray. The 
brethren had a Bible-class every Lord's day when there 
was no preaching, and no public speaking was indulged 
in except a few remarks at the Lord's table, by one of 
the elders. Though I was accustomed to speak in 
public, I felt a responsibility in this matter that I never 
felt before. I decided upon three things as insuring 
success, or at least resulting in no harm : 

1. To select a plain, practical subject, on which I 
would not be likely to indulge in false teaching. 

2. To thoroughly study the subject, rather than the 
sermon. 

3. To make myself thoroughly familiar with the 
analysis of the subject, and then talk about it, without 
relying upon memory as to language. 

Relying on memory has been the cause of ten 
thousand failures, and has taken all the ''snap" out 
of ten thousand more, that were considered a success. 
The intellect never leaps and bounds with vivacity when 
it is chained by verbal memory. 

I selected for my text Matt. xvi. 24: **Then said 



40 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and 
follow me." I went into the pulpit alone, ** intro- 
duced," as the saying is, for myself, and then spoke 
for forty minutes. While I felt embarrassed by a sense 
of responsibility, there was no confusion of thought in 
regard to the subject ; hence no difficulty in its pre- 
sentation. As it was my first sermon, the analysis of it 
may be of some interest. 

I called attention, first, to the universal offer of 
salvation: **If any mait.'' Second, to the freedom of 
the will: * * If any man w^'//. " Third, personal respon- 
sibility involved in the foregoing. Fourth, self-denial 
as a condition of eternal life. Fifth, the nature and 
necessity of cross-bearing. Sixth, examples of self- 
denial and cross-bearing on the part of Christ and the 
apostles. 

The church in which I preached my first sermon 
was the same in which I made the confession, and near 
which I was reared. For it I did my first regular 
monthly preaching, while in college, and in it held a 
number of successful protracted meetings, one annually, 
during the early years of my ministry. The old church 
is dear to me yet ; its old members are my devoted 
friends, and I delight to visit them when Providence 
permits. 

Immediately after obeying the Saviour I bought a 
family Bible and a pocket Testament ; not that we had 
none before, but they were not such as suited my 
convenience. At home and abroad, in the city or 
the country, in the store or on the road, I had my Testa- 
ment. As I drove all day along the highway, I would 
look at it occasionally to see how a certain passage read. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 4I 

and then study its meaning. I have never read the 
Bible largely, as some do, but I have studied it every 
day since I knew the way of life, unless I was too sick 
to have anything in mind. I have studied, doubtless, 
a hundred times as much without the book in my hands 
as with it. The idea that one can study the Bible 
only as he has opportunity to sit down with the book 
in his hands, is a great mistake. Hence many people 
complain of having no time to study the Bible, when 
the fact is they have nearly all their time, if they only 
knew it. I early learned to study the Bible at any time 
or under any circumstances, and the advantages of this 
to me have been beyond estimation. 

As soon as I got my family Bible, I wrote on a fly- 
leaf a few simple 

RULES OF LIFE. 

1. To study this book carefully and prayerfully 
every day. 

2. To try to understand its teaching, regardless of 
the theories and traditions of men. 

3. To make it the man of my counsel, the source 
and limit of my knowledge of divine things, and to 
speak on such matters only as it speaks, 

4. To measure myself in everything by this stand- 
ard, and bring my life, in all respects, in subjection to 
its divine authority. 

5. To strive to grow in grace, and in the knowledge 
of the truth, that I may become strong in the Lord, 
be a blessing to my fellow men, and at last obtain a 
home in heaven. 

These rules, in some respects, have been closely 
observed ; especially the first three. While in the 



42 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

others I have fallen immeasurably short, I feel that, upon 
the whole, the rules have been of great advantage to- 
me. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Resolves to Go to College. — Friends Oppose. — Wife Decides It. — Hard 
Living and Hard Work. — Impaired Health. — Preaches for His 
Home Church. — Father-in-law Dies. — *' Frank, Be a True Man." — 
House Robbed. — "Scraps." — College Incidents. — First Pay for 
Preaching. — Holds Several Meetings. — Dishonest Preacher. 

When I fully decided to devote my life to the min- 
istry of the Word, I felt an overwhelming desire for a 
better education, in order to do the kind of work for 
the Master that his cause demanded. I had a good deal 
of general information that I had acquired through 
years of reading and study, but I was wholly ignorant 
of a number of things that I felt to be necessary to re- 
liable, satisfactory work for the Lord. I wanted to de- 
vote my life to study, and I needed assistance in laying 
the foundation on which to build in after years. I 
decided, therefore, to quit business and go to college. 
This was vigorously opposed by all my friends. The 
church insisted that I had education enough, and that all 
I lacked was practice, to make me as good a preacher 
as there was need to be. My relatives opposed it, be- 
cause they could not see the necessity, and it promised 
to wife and children only starvation. I had had some 
reverses, and had got just fairly square with the world. 
The flush war times had just come on. Trade was 
booming, money abundant and prices going up. I was 
now prepared to make money as I had never made it 
before, by five to one. To quit business just at that 

43 



44 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

time, cut off all source of revenue, and go with a wife 
and three children to college, with but little money to 
start on, did, indeed, in one sense, look like absolute 
recklessness. Indeed, some of the brethren thought I 
was actually going crazy. 

It was then argued that I should at least defer it a 
few years, till I should make some money, which was 
then easily done, and thus provide for the wants of my 
family while going through college. This looked very 
plausible ; but I was deeply impressed with the blun- 
ders I had already made in trying to be a politician, 
then a soldier, and not going at once to the work of 
the Lord. I was afraid to dally about the matter any 
longer. I laid the case before the Lord and my wife. 
I knew she was to be the greatest sufferer by the change, 
and her counsel weighed more with me than that of all 
others. Considering what might result from delay, the 
brave little woman said "Go." That settled it. 

In August, 1862, I wound up my business, and 
prepared to enter Eminence College. I rented an old, 
dilapidated house near the railroad, a mile above town. 
The place had about three acres for cultivation, and 
the same amount in grass. I kept a horse and buggy, 
a cow and several hogs. My wife raised a large number 
of fowls. I cultivated the ground, making it produce all 
it would, cut and hauled my fuel from the woods, and 
so managed as to be at no great expense in living. But 
when going to a city market every week^ and feeling 
no embarrassment about money, we indulged in a style 
of living that now had to be discontinued. This went 
rather hard, but we tried to bear it bravely. The plain- 
est and hardest living of our lives, by far, were those 
years at Eminence. The self-denial of my wife, for 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 45 

my sake and the gospel's, greatly encouraged me to 
bear the cross. 

I did double work during the whole time, reciting 
eight times a day. This required intense application. 
I allowed myself eight hours for sleep, and the other 
sixteen were given to study. Whether eating, walking, 
working in the garden or chopping wood, I was boring 
into the questions of the recitation room. I would 
occasionally take a little turn with the boys on the play- 
ground at noon, but not often. I was fond of it, but 
felt that I could not spare the time. This was a sad 
mistake, confirmed by a life of broken-down health. 
But, like many others, it was not discovered till the 
mischief was done. A determined effort to crowd four 
years' work into two, under discouraging circumstances, 
resulted in impaired health ; which continued labor 
beyond my strength kept impaired for the rest of my 
life. It is often stated that preachers suffer more from 
overeating than overwork. This is doubtless true to 
a large extent. But it was far from true in my case. 
I was never a large eater affer I was grown. And when 
my health first failed me, want of a variety of good, 
nourishing food had no little to do with it. And all 
through subsequent life, a trouble has been to take 
sufficient food to meet the wants of the system. 

I was the first married man that ever attended Emi- 
nence College. It was considered quite a novelty by 
some. But a few months later, in the same term, Bro. 
Briney came in. He and his wife boarded at the col- 
lege. A few years later Bro. George Bersot and wife 
came, and married school-boys go,t to be quite common. 

While attending school, I preached once a month 
for the old church at home — Pleasant Hill. The dis- 



46 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

tance was twenty miles, with a good dirt road — when it 
was n't bad. This afforded my wife an opportunity, 
during favorable weather, to go to see her parents once 
a month. And her father was now getting low with 
consumption. The church promised me no specified 
amount for my preaching, and, as is frequently the 
case, most of them considered the contract com- 
plied with when they gave m.e a hearing. They were 
not in sympathy with my college enterprise, and were 
not specially concerned about supporting it. 

In May, 1863, my father-in-law died. In his death 
I lost one of my best and dearest earthly friends. He 
was the only one who encouraged me in my efforts for 
an education. While he could give me no material 
aid, being himself embarrassed by years of affliction, 
his wise counsel and deep sympathy helped me even 
more than money, badly as that was needed. When 
he was gone, I felt as if the only bright spot in my 
horizon, apart from my family, had faded into dark- 
ness. By nature he had a quick temper, and was very 
impulsive. By Christian culture he came to be a model 
in gentleness, patience and self-control. He was a 
wonderful example of how men, by faith, ''out of 
weakness are made strong." As we stood around his 
bed of death, and his breathing indicated that the end 
was at hand, he opened his eyes as I was bending over 
him, looked me earnestly in the face, and composedly 
said, " Frank, be a true man." And with these words 
his spirit took its flight. No other words that ever fell 
from mortal lips ever so impressed me as these. The 
source whence they came, and the circumstances under 
which they were uttered, gave them peculiar signifi- 
cance. My soul, what is it for one to be a true man — 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 47 

true to his friends and true to his foes ; true to his family 
and to her whose life is dearer to him than his own ; true 
to himself and his better nature in all that involves his 
honor as a man ; true to the truth, under all circum- 
stances ; and true to the Saviour and His cause, to 
which he has dedicated his life ? Ever in after years 
when tempted in regard to a faithful discharge of its 
responsibilities, those sacred words came from the 
sleeping dust of death— '* Frank, be a true man." 
Though dead, he yet speaks, and his words have been 
fruitful of good. 

While attending his death and funeral, our house 
was broken into, and almost everything we had was 
stolen. We had laid in meat and lard for the year, 
and not a pound was left. All the flour, meal, sugar, 
coffee, preserves, jams, jellies, and everything else, 
was taken. Not a pound of anything to eat was left 
on the place. All the best cupboard ware, and part of 
the bedding and my wife's clothing were taken. This 
was a sorry plight to find ourselves in when we re- 
turned from the funeral. The country was full of sol- 
diers, and nothing was done towards recovering the 
property. Thus we started on a darker and rougher 
road for the rest of college life. 

During the first year at Eminence there grew up a 
strong rivalry between the two leading college societies 
— the Philomathean and the Rising Star. Both were 
strong in numbers, and each had in it an unusual 
amount of talent. I was appointed by the Philo- 
mathean Society to criticise the Rising Stars. This 
was my special business. I prepared what I called a 
scrap-basket. For this I would prepare notes from 
time to time, as something would suggest them, and 



48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

on the nights of pubHc exhibition, which were quite fre- 
quent, I would read them. These were cuts at the 
young ladies and criticisms of their performances, as 
sharp as I could make them. The result was, the whole 
Society soon got too much out of humor to speak to me 
They called me ' ' Scraps. " Even Sister Giltner became 
offended, and was so for several months, till I was brought 
down in sickness, and then her good heart conquered, 
and she came to see me, bringing a load of delicacies to 
tempt and satisfy my appetite. The "scrap" at which 
she became offended was about this : Coming on the 
stage, the first scrap I took from the basket read : " We 
do not expect many compliments for this dish of scraps, 
especially from the young ladies of the boarding-house, 
as they are so used to being fed on scraps, it will be 
no variety to them." Sister G. prided herself on her 
good table. I knew it was good, and hence felt free 
to make the jocular remark. Had it been otherwise, 
I should have felt some hesitation in doing so. 

President Giltner and I were in frequent conflict, 
and became in for a full share of notice from the scrap, 
basket. While I would not assent to his views of things, 
which frequently caused disputation, on the whole he 
was kind and generous, and did much to help me 
through those hard school years. I have since met 
many of those young ladies in all parts of the country, 
mothers of interesting families, but not one of them 
had ever forgotten that scrap-basket. 

Doctor Russell was my teacher in Latin and the 
Sciences, and Prof Henry Giltner in Mathematics and 
Greek. The Doctor was a fine moralist, but an unbe- 
liever. He was a fine teacher, and very popular with 
the boys. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 49 

In the public debates in our society, Bro. J. B. 
Briney and I were always pitted against each other. 
We were the oldest and the nearest equal in our ad- 
vancement, especially in this line. We had quite a 
number of public discussions. 

Here, as elsewhere, many went through on the shoul- 
ders of others. As an illustration of this, take two 
young men who were appointed on public debate. Soon 
each came to me insisting that I should write his speech. 
I refused both. The time was drawing nigh, and neither 
had done anything. One evening one of them went 
home with me from school, and compelled me, virtu- 
ally, to write his speech. He was delighted with it. 
The next morning, while he was asleep, I got up and 
wrote a reply, just ** tearing it all to flinders." The 
negative gained the decision, and neither one knows to 
this day that I wrote the speech of the other. 

During the winter of 1862-3 I went to Hendronsville, 
the old church that now composes the one at Smith- 
field, to fill an appointment for Bro. Giltner. I went 
to dinner with old Bro. Hieatt. On leaving, he gave 
me a dollar — the first dollar I ever received for preach- 
ing. 

In the summer of 1863 I held a meeting at Hen- 
dronsville, with Bro. Giltner, for which I was Hberally 
paid, all things considered, and this was my first pay 
for a protracted meeting. 

The same vacation, I went to South Fork, in Boone 
county, to fill an appointment for Bro. Wm. Tandy. 
Bro. Jacob Hugley was to come on the first of the 
week, and join me in a protracted meeting. Something 
prevented him from coming. I soon ran out of ser- 
mons, the supply on hand being small. In the mean- 



50 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

time a fine interest had sprung up, and I had no excuse 
for quitting. So I had either to face the music, pre- 
pare and preach two sermons a day, or ingloriously 
surrender. The meeting continued two weeks, with 
some eighteen or twenty additions. During the same 
trip I held a meeting at a church near Walton, at 
which several additions were made to the congregation. 

I did but little preaching during the school term. 
Convenient churches could not be obtained, and incon- 
venient ones took too much of my time to be given for 
nothing. 

At Eminence I first met Bro. I. B. Grubbs. He 
came to preach for a few days, and spent a day at our 
humble home. I then formed for him a peculiar 
attachment, which has grown and strengthened with 
the passing years. Our minds ran close together in 
the channels of divine truth, and they have never ma- 
terially diverged. A disagreement between us in the 
interpretation of Scripture has been very rare. 

Old Bro. T. M. Allen preached for the church at 
Eminence while I was there. His sermons were enjoy- 
able, and possessed considerable power, but they 
lacked logical construction, and I "learned but little 
from them. 

In a few weeks after going to Eminence, in the fall 
of 1862, we were blessed with the birth of a third 
daughter, and in the summer of 1864 the Lord took 
her to himself, and left us to mourn her absence. 

In June, 1864, I went with WiUis and Wallace Cox 
to Daviess county, to hold some meetings. Wallace 
was not able to preach, but went along for the enjoy- 
ment of the trip. He had labored there before, and 
was well acquainted. We held a meeting at Owens- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 5 I 

boro, and one at a new church some eight miles in the 
country. Both meetings were moderately successful. 

As an evidence of what some men can do, I shall 
speak of a meeting held about this time, without giving 
place or na^ne. The meeting had been successful, and 
a fine interest prevailed. The night it was to close 
there came a severe storm, and no one was out. We 
had to leave the next morning, and on the next Lord's 
day the brethren raised considerable money and gave 
it to the preacher to send to us. Some years after, 
the brother who was with me in the meeting went back 
there to preach for the church, and while there some 
one asked him whether he and I received our money all 
right. This was the first intimation that any money 
had been sent to us. The case was investigated by the 
church, and the man confessed he had never sent it. 
The brother got his, and the thief preacher promised 
to send mine, but hasn't done it yet. He is still 
preaching, and on several occasions has come a long 
way to hear me preach. What kind of a face and 
heart such a man can have, is a mystery I have never 
been able to solve ! 



CHAPTER IX. 

Leaves College. — Goes to Alexandria, Ky. — An Adventure in Ohio. — 
A Baby not Baptized. — Peril in Crossing the River. — Opens His 
School. — Makes Some Money. — Buys a Nice Home. 

Having obtained a sufficient knowledge of Latin, 
Greek, and various sciences, to enable me to prosecute 
my education without a teacher, and my health being 
bad through close application and hard living, and feel- 
ing that I ought not to subject my family to such hard- 
ships any longer, I determined, very reluctantly, to 
leave college, at least for a time. I had now been at 
Eminence two years, and I shall ever thank God that 
even for this short time I was able to gratify my burn- 
ing desire to acquire knowledge. It was at a great 
sacrifice we went there and remained as long as we did, 
but we have never once regretted it. 

Through the influence of President Giltner, we se- 
cured the High School at Alexandria, Campbell county, 
Ky. This had been conducted for some years pre- 
viously by Bros. O. A. and Chester Bartholomew, 
under the name of the "Mammoth Institute." I 
visited the place, and arranged to conduct the school 
and preach for the church there, which was small and 
financially weak ; but there was no other in reach. So 
I could not do better than to give them all my time, 
at whatever could be raised in the way of salary. They 
had a nice little brick house, and a number of good 

members, and for several years the church prospered \ 

52 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 53 

but the county filled up with Germans, some of the 
best members moved away, and the cause went down. 
The house was sold, and to-day we have no church in 
the place. 

After completing arrangements to preach and 
teach, I went over to Hamersville, Brown county, O., 
to see some relatives. A brother and sister of my • 
father lived there, besides other relatives. My uncle 
had a large family. I had never visited any of them, 
and now being near and having a little time, I bor- 
rowed a horse and rode over. I sent an appointment 
for Lord's day at Hamersville, and got there about 
the middle of the week. I found that an appointment 
had not been made for Sunday morning, but for night. 
The reason was, the Methodists were to have a quar- 
terly meeting in the woods near town — a big affair— 
and everybody was going. Hence I could get no 
hearing in the morning. I went to the meeting, as it 
was the only place to which to go. It was thought that 
three thousand people were on the ground. There were 
seven preachers. It was during the darkest period of 
the war, and every man from the south side of the 
Ohio River was looked upon with suspicion. I had 
been there several days, and quite a number knew who 
I was and where I was from. I took a seat near the 
stand, and when they prayed, in conformity with their 
custom, I kneeled in the leaves. The old preacher 
who ''led in prayer " yelled as if his congregation was 
a mile away and God was on a journey. He began by 
praying for the President ; then his Cabinet ; then the 
Senate ; then the Representatives ; then the generals ; 
then the colonels ; then the captains ; then the private 
soldiers All this I tolerated, but did not say Amen. 



54 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

Finally he prayed for the utter extermination of the 
Southern people. He besought God to wipe them out 
of existence — men, women and children — from the 
Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico. This blasphemy 
and contemptible wickedness I could not endure, and I 
arose from my knees. Perhaps five hundred people 
saw me when I got up. The point in the prayer at 
which I got up aroused suspicion, and inquiry was in a 
moment rife. They learned who I was and where I 
was from, and the excitement grew intense. Numerous 
threats were made to hang me on a limb there and 
then. The country was full of what they called 
*' copperheads," who had kept very quiet, because it 
was to their interest to do so, but now they were 
aroused, and any attempt at violence would have led to 
the most serious trouble. During the intermission at 
noon, men of different politics congregated in different 
groups, in earnest conversation, and the meeting was 
forgotten in. the excitement over a refusal to indorse that 
prayer. I was waited on by a committee to know if it 
was my political feelings that caused me to get up 
when I did. Without hesitation, I confessed that it 
was. Then they said, ' ' What more need have we of 
evidence?" It was finally decided, so we were in- 
formed, that I would not be allowed to preach at 
night — that they would egg me, etc. But at night, 
not only the house, but the yard, was full of "copper- 
heads " who meant ''business," and I preached with- 
out molestation. 

They had been holding these meetings at various 
places throughout the country, and at all of them 
sprinkled all the children that their parents could be 
induced to bring. One lady had a bright little boy 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 55 

about eighteen months old, and when the Presiding 
Elder took him to '"baptize" him, he said, "Sister, 
name this child." She responded, '* His name is Val- 
landigham." He flew into a perfect rage, handed the 
child to her as if it were burning his fingers, saying, 
*'If you want this child baptized you will have to 
change its name. I will baptize no child named for a 
traitor." The mother took the child and departed. 
We presume that had its name been Jeff Davis, he 
would have broken its neck on the spot. Such was the 
''religion" of that class at that time. The speeches 
on the day alluded to were nothing but political har- 
angues of the most exciting nature. Previously I had 
thought they had politics and religion mixed, but I 
now discovered that there was no mixture about it. 

On my return, I had a little adventure in crossing 
the river. The ferry was at New Richmond. The 
boat was a small affair, propelled by poles and oars. It 
was just wide enough for a wagon, and had railings on 
the sides. A two-horse wagon went in before me. 
When we got some distance out into the river, one of 
the horses jumped over the railing, and caused the boat 
to careen so that it was filling rapidly. It was astonish- 
ing how those river men, who, perhaps, had been reared 
on the water, became excited. They seemed almost 
incapable of any intelligent action, but yelled like so 
many savages. I decided at once upon my course. I 
got into the wagon, calculating that the water would 
probably not come to my head while standing up, 
should the boat go down. If it should, then I deter- 
mined to take my horse by the tail and let him tow me 
ashore. But the owner of the team succeeded in cut- 



56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

ting the harness, thus freeing the horse and allowing 
the boat to right itself so that it did not sink. 

We moved from Eminence to Alexandria, and 
boarded with a gentleman by the name of Brown. He 
had a nice family, a good house, and he was a clever 
gentleman, and a ''hardshell" Baptist of the first 
water. 

Our school opened about the first of September, 
with seventy-eight pupils, and it soon increased to 130. 
Not expecting so many, I had secured no assistant but 
my wife ; and the result was, we were both over- 
worked. I had to hear several classes out of school 
hours, especially in Latin and Greek. There were 
some young men in these studies, clerks, merchants, 
etc., who were not otherwise in the school, and these 
recitations were in the evening after school was dis- 
missed. This, with preaching every Lord's day, 
worked me very hard. The school paid well, and for 
the first time since I gave up business for the gospel of 
Christ, I made some money. 

In a few months, as soon as I saw an open road to 
success, I bought a nice little cottage and two acres of 
ground, from Bro. Giltner, at ;^ 1,200. He had taken it 
for a school debt, and let us have it on reasonable 
terms. It was nicely improved, and altogether a de- 
sirable piece of property. Thus for the first time we 
had a home of our own. This is a luxury that com- 
paratively few preachers can enjoy. Moving from place 
to place as, for example, Methodist preachers have to 
do, is unfavorable to domestic happiness. How few 
members of our churches ever think of this, or make 
allowance for the discomfort frequent changes of resi- 
dence impose upon the families of their preachers ! 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 57 

To own a home and have the taste and the means to 
adorn it, is an educational force in any family ; its lack, 
a great misfortune. 



CHAPTER X. 

Narrow Escapes. — Is Thrown from a Horse. — Has Pneumonia. — Nearljr 
Killed. — Self-possession. — Almost Drowned. — Eludes Angry Sol- 
diers. — Reflections. 

During the Christmas holidays we went down to 
Oldham county to see our relatives. While there, an 
event occurred, the recollection of which brings up a 
chapter of Narrow Escapes hitherto untold, a few of 
which I shall relate in their order. 

When about thirteen years of age, a horse on which 
I was riding in a slow walk and on a level road, fell, 
throwing me over its head and coming over on top of 
me. It broke both bones of my left ankle and several 
ribs, mashing in my left breast, which has ever since 
been much depressed ; it never developed like the other, 
and the lung on that side is the one now chiefly affected. 
This accident occurred at Ballardsville, on a public day, 
some three miles from home. I was taken to the home 
of Dr. Swaine, our family physician, near which it 
happened. He was absent, and a doctor from Shelby 
county was called. He had a carpenter to make a box, 
reaching from my foot to my knee, and in this he put 
my leg. The box was straight on the bottom, and as 
the break was just in the hollow between the calf and 
the heel, anybody that had any sense should have 
known that the broken part would settle down level 
with the rest, and a bad job be the result. It was badly 

set, and gave me much trouble for several years. 

58 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 59 

Following this, in successive winters, I had two 
severe spells of pneumonia in that left lung, in both of 
which my life was despaired of 

One day I was hauling heavy barn sills. They were 
swung under the hind axle, and the pole was tied by a 
chain back around the sill. The chain caught on a solid 
rock in the road, and, as I had four strong horses, and 
they all came to a dead pull, the chain broke ; then the 
pole came over with force enough to have mashed every 
bone in a man's body. The horses happened to be on 
a straight pull, and the pole just brushed by my right 
shoulder and side. Had it struck me, I might as well 
have been struck by a cannon-ball. That ended my 
dragging logs without a block under the front end of 
the pole. 

While trading in Louisville, a grocery firm Avith 
which I dealt to some extent had a clerk who was very 
dissipated at times. He was a desperate character, 
and, when drinking, was very dangerous. One day I 
sold them a lot of bacon, and this clerk, who almost 
had delirium tremens at the time, made a mistake in 
weighing it. When I told him of it, he took it as an 
accusation of intentional swindling. Instantly he came 
at me with a large cheese knife, swearing vengeance 
and his eyes flashing fire. There was nothing in reach 
with which to defend myself, and I could not well get 
out of his way. I decided instantly on the only possi- 
ble way of escape. I stood perfectly still, did not move 
a hand, and looked him steadily in the eye. When he 
got to me, he hesitated a moment, and the uplifted 
hand with the huge knife dropped to his side. Not a 
word was spoken, nor did my eye fall from his, and he 
turned and went back to his work. 



60 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

During the summer after I confessed the Saviour, 
quite a number of hands were harvesting at my father- 
in-law's. On Saturday evening we went to a large pond 
near by to bathe. It was made to supply a saw-mill by 
throwing a large dam across a hollow. It covered, 
perhaps, an acre of ground, and was twelve or fifteen 
feet deep in places. I never could swim success- 
fully, but a number of those present were good swim- 
mers, and there were many slabs on the pond that 
would float several men. I told them I believed I could 
swim across the pond, and if I could not there were too 
many good swimmers present to let me drown. I swam 
across once, and, after resting a moment, started back. 
When I got about the middle, I missed my stroke and 
went down. I thought nothing of it at first, fully ex- 
pecting that when I came to the top they would save 
me. I came to the top, could hear them yelling like 
Indians, but no one came to my rescue. I took breath 
and went down again. When I came up the second 
time the result was the same. When I came up ihe 
third time, and no one there to help me, I began to get 
a little uneasy and considerably out of humor. I was 
becoming exhausted, and I knew that I could not come 
to the top more than once or twice more. I tried to 
go to the bottom, knowing that if I could touch bottom 
I could spring to the surface without exertion. But I 
could not reach the bottom. I came up the fourth time ; 
still no one gave me assistance. By summoning the 
entire stock of remaining strength, I came up the fifth 
time. As I did so, a strong young man, Sparks 
by name, a good swimmer, caught me by the left arm 
near the shoulder. He told me to take hold of him, 
but this I refused to do. I thought this might endan- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 6 1 

ger him, and that if I would be perfectly passive he 
could manage me with no danger to himself. But when 
I would not take hold of him, he let me go and swam 
off and left me. Another man was within ten feet at 
the time, coming to his assistance. When I went down 
this time, I was satisfied they were going to let me 
drown. I felt that I could not come to the top again, 
and could not reach the bottom. I thought if I could 
reach the bottom I could crawl out by springing to the 
top now and then for breath. But I could not touch 
bottom. I then began to calculate the chances of their 
getting my body out in time to resuscitate it. I knew 
it would not take long to cut the dam and drain the 
pond ; but, when I reflected that they had not the pres- 
ence of mind to do anything, I lost all hope in that 
direction. I saw no chance for me, and regarded the 
end as come. The reflection that I had obeyed the 
gospel was intensely joyous. During the whole time I 
had not strangled, knowing that it would be fatal. A 
young man named Gipson — Sam Gipson — one 
of the owners of the mill, was some eighty yards away, 
filing the saw. When Sparks swam away and left me, 
Gipson saw they were going to let me drown, and ran 
to my assistance. He got on one of the large slabs, 
and came in to where I had gone down. I was still 
making some commotion in the water, and, guessing 
about where I was, he pushed a plank down that came 
just under my left arm. I knew what it was, and pressed 
it to my side. He then bore on the other end and 
brought me to the surface. He held on thus till others 
came and helped me upon the slab. As soon as I got 
breath a few times I appeared to be all right, and they 
thought I was only playing a trick on them ; but in a 



62 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

few moments I tumbled over, became black in the face, 
and suffered intensely for several hours. 

On one occasion during the war I went into Floyds- 
burg, on the morning after Christmas day. There was" 
a little squad of Confederates there, belonging to the 
command of Col. Jessee, of New Castle, Ky. One of 
them was a boy, named Hall, who went from that 
neighborhood. The rest were strangers. I was in- 
troduced to the lieutenant in command, and had some 
talk with him. The main street of the town runs east 
and west. About the middle, the Brownsboro road 
comes in from the north, at a right angle. This comes 
down a ' ' branch " which crosses the main street. At the 
east end of town the road descends into another hollow. 
Some of the soldiers were inside, some sitting outside, 
of a blacksmith shop, and some on their horses. I had 
walked near the east end, till I was just on the ridge 
between the two hollows. I was standing at the door 
of Col. Wilson, talking to his wife, when several com- 
panies of negroes, stationed at La Grange under the 
command of white men, came marching into town. 
They were a terror to the whole country. A little 
negro boy, chopping wood just at the east edge of 
town, informed the commander, who was riding in 
front, that the rebels were at the shop. Instantly every- 
thing was quieted, and a stealthy march for the shop 
began. From my position I could see both parties, and 
that the rebels were wholly unsuspecting. While they 
were nothing to me, and I had but little sympathy with 
them, for they were not in the regular service, I could 
not stand and see them surprised and shot. I deter- 
mined to warn them. Mrs. Wilson tried to dissuade 
me, assuring me that it would be certain death. I con- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 63 

fess I could see it in no other light myself, yet I could 
not decline. I walked down the street with an uncon- 
cerned air, about forty yards in advance of the com- 
pany. The lieutenant was sitting on his horse sidewise, 
with his face turned from me, talking to a Presbyterian 
preacher. I could see the eyes of the preacher over 
the shoulders of the horse, but he was looking up into 
the face of the other man, and I could catch the eye of 
neither. Finally, I had to stop and make lively demon- 
strations in the face of the whole negro command. 
When the attention of the Confederates was attracted, 
they endeavored to escape by the Brownsboro road, and 
a charge from the other company was instantly ordered. 
Each company opened fire on the other. I was on the 
side of the street next to the Brownsboro road, and 
hence thrown into all of the crossfire. I stood perfectly 
still till the entire colored company passed by me. One 
man fell within a few feet of me, and afterwards died. 
They had a running fight till they got out of hearing. 
They caught young Hall, the only one I knew, and 
killed him. Notwithstanding the agreeable disappoint- 
ment at not finding myself killed, I concluded that it 
might not be healthy to stay around there. The town 
contained one of the most unprincipled white men that 
ever went unhung. He was a sneak thief, and made it 
his business to get Southern men into trouble. I saw 
him watching me all the time. I concluded, therefore, 
that it would be better for me to leave town before the 
soldiers got back. I had not gone more than a mile 
when they returned, and threatened to burn the town 
if I was not produced. They were watching me from 
the first, and the only thing that saved me was they 
concluded that they could attend to me after they got 



64 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

through with the rebels. They were told that I had 
left town, and were put on the wrong road in search of 
me. I was then notified, and my holiday visit termin- 
ated suddenly. 

When I think now of the many narrow escapes from 
death before I was a child of God, a number of which 
are not recorded, my heart overflows with gratitude for 
the kind Providence that spared me till I knew the way 
of life and had the precious promises of God, An un- 
godly man may be brave, and face death without a 
tremor, but only a child of God can face certain death 
as it comes on apace in the stillness of the sick cham- 
ber, and when the body is wasted with disease, in per- 
fect composure and even inexpressible joy. 



CHAPTER XL 

He Abandons the School-room. — Remarkable Meeting near Alexan- 
dria. — Incidents. — Establishes a Church. — Mischief-making 
Preachers. — Long and Severe Attack of Typhoid Fever. — Does 
not Lose Hope. — Gratitude. 

After teaching a year, I decided to abandon the 
school-room and give myself wholly to the preaching 
of the Word. In the summer of 1865 I did some mis- 
sion work in Boone county, under the direction of the 
State Board. In August, I held a meeting in Camp- 
bell county, about five miles from Alexandria. The 
circumstances were a little peculiar. The Baptist meet- 
ing-house in Alexandria had been blown down, and 
they were using our house, at our invitation, every 
Lord's day afternoon, till they could rebuild. They 
had a house about five miles in the country, and a large 
congregation. Nearly the whole community were Bap- 
tists, and they claimed a kind of preemption. We had 
not a member in the neighborhood. I was exceedingly 
anxious to hold a meeting in the very center of this 
stronghold, and thought that as they were using our 
house, they would grant me the use of theirs ; but 
they would not. They offered to let me have it for 
one sermon, but not for a protracted meeting. This 
did not suit my purpose ; and as there was an old log 
sclrool-house near by, I made an appointment for a 
meeting in this, which was to begin on Sunday after- 
noon ; and a few friends went with me from town. 

65 



66 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

When we arrived at the place, not a soul was on the 
ground ; so having waited after the time, and no one 
coming, I decided at once that the Baptists had re- 
ported the appointment withdrawn, so that when I 
came and found no one, I would be disgusted, and re- 
turn home. But I was not disposed to be defeated in 
that way. There was no brother in reach with whom 
I could stay, but I told the friends to go back to town 
and leave me, and that I would hold the meeting, *'if I 
had to sleep in the woods, live on pawpaws, and drink 
out of the ' branch.' " So they left me. 

There was a man living about a mile away whom the 
Baptists had excluded about a year before, and who 
had no good feeling for them. Concluding that that 
would be the best chance for shelter, I went to the 
house, and learned from him that the appointment had 
indeed been countermanded, just as I suspected. He 
promised me food and shelter while I held the meeting. 
A number of neighbor boys were there with his, and 
these were told to circulate the appointment for next 
night. The following day he and I went and cleaned 
the house, putting in some ** anxious seats," fixing 
it to hold as many as possible. He sent his boys out 
through the neighborhood notifying the people, and 
that night we had about thirty present. The next 
night the house was full ; and from this on we had 
large audiences, day and night. In a few days we built 
an arbor in front, and seated it; then, standing in the 
door, I preached to those within and without. The 
meeting continued two weeks, and resulted in fifty- 
two additions. Twenty-seven of these were from that 
Baptist Church, and the rest by confession. A few of 
the twenty-seven, the man with whom I lodged among 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 6/ 

the number, were not in the fellowship of the church 
at that time. 

Several incidents occurred during the meeting. A 
very wicked man began to attend, and one night he 
felt that he could stand the fire no longer ; but as I was 
in the door, preventing his escape in that direction, he 
leaped out of a window, and ran off into the woods. 
In about ten minutes he came crowding in from the 
outside, to make the confession. 

A Baptist man became interested in the meeting, 
but his wife was so bitter in her feelings that she would 
not attend. He finally prevailed upon her to come. 
Going home, he asked her how she liked it. " Better 
than I expected," was the reply. No more was said, 
but the next day she came without persuasion. When 
asked the same question, she said, ''They don't 
preach what I thought they did." He was anxious to 
unite with us on the Bible, but was waiting in the hope 
of getting her to come with him. The next day she 
was in the house and he on the outside, and he did not 
know till the meeting was over that she had come for- 
ward and been received into the fellowship. 

At this meeting a gentleman came and asked me to 
marry him that night after the services should be over. 
I told him I could not, as I had not obtained license to 
marry. He then asked if I would object to his get- 
ting a Methodist preacher who lived several miles away. 
That night there was a great crowd, and I saw nothing of 
the preacher, but while we were singing an invitation 
song a gentleman came pushing in, and gave me his 
hand. I thought, of course, he wanted to make the 
confession, and I tried to seat him with the others who 
had come forward ; but he would not. He soon 



68 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

became excited, and, tearing himself loose, forced his 
way into the crowd. Just then some one whispered 
to me that that was the Methodist preacher. It was a 
long time before the services closed, and he was still so 
embarrassed that it was with great difficulty he per- 
formed the required ceremony. He hurried away 
without speaking to me, and then sent his apology, 
stating that he was so mortified over his blunder that 
he could not speak to me about it that night. 

On account of the numbers, the distance from town, 
and the want of facilities for attendance there on the 
part of many of the converts, they insisted upon having 
a church of their own at the school-house. Under the 
circumstances it was thought best to comply with their 
request. No officers were appointed as such, because 
of inexperience, but several brethren were desig- 
nated as those who should take a general oversight of 
the flock, conduct their worship, etc., but none had 
authority; and all were exhorted to be in subjection 
one to another. They met every Lord's day and broke 
the loaf, and had prayer-meeting Wednesday night. 
A large number took part in the worship. They had 
frequent confessions, and a blacksmith across Licking 
River, who preached, met them at the water, when 
notified, to attend to baptizing. They thus grew in a 
few months from the fifty-two to seventy-five, when 
two mischief-making preachers visited them and in- 
sisted that without ordained elders and deacons they, 
were no church at all, and finally prevailed upon them 
to have a number of men ordained. I was sick, and 
knew nothing that was going on. These ignorant nov- 
ices thought there was no use in having authority un- 
less it were exercised. So they began to crack their 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 6g 

ecclesiastical whip, and the peace of the church was 
disturbed. Things went from bad to worse till the 
whole congregation went to pieces. Thus a good work 
was destroyed by the folly of two ignorant, self-im- 
portant preachers. Much mischief has been done in 
our reformatory work by hasty organization. Like the 
New Testament churches, we should have no ordained 
officers till we have material out of which to make 
them. 

About September lO, 1865, I was stricken down 
with typhoid fever. I had a good physician, and he 
nursed me with the utmost care. During that sickness 
he came to see me a hundred and thii^ty times. For over 
seven weeks there was not a hopeful symptom. He 
allowed no company in the room but my wife and the 
nurses. He appointed good brethren to nurse me, 
each night about. No one el^e was allowed to touch 
me, except my wife. I did not see my two little chil- 
dren for over two months, though they were all the 
time in the house. After seven weeks he told me that 
for the first time he saw a slight indication of recovery. 
After I became convalescent, he said, in talking over 
the case, that he could attribute my recovery to but 
two things — my confidence all the time that I should 
get well, and the faith I had in my physician. He deter- 
mined this latter by saying that I followed his direc- 
tion minutely in everything. Theologically, he could 
not have given a better definition of faith. He was a 
Baptist. 

I never gave up for a moment, and would not 
allow my mother to be sent for till I was far on the 
road to recovery. I got out for the first time on Christ- 
mas day, but it was a year before I was able to resume 



70 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

regular preaching ; and even then, and for a long time 
afterwards, I felt the effects of this terrible disease. 
Had it not been for the close attention of the doctor, 
and the good nursing of my dear wife and kind breth- 
ren, I am sure that attack of sickness would have sent 
me to my grave. Truly, God has been very merciful to 
me in giving me friends wherever I have lived, and 1 
have ever felt I could not be grateful enough or diligent 
enough in the service of my Redeemer and His church 
to repay Him or them for all this undeserved goodness. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Sells Out at Alexandria. — Moves to Crittenden. — Preaches there and 
at Williamstown. — Low State of these Churches. — Plan of Work. 
— Memorizing in Sunday-school. — Lack of Church Discipline. — 
One-Man System. — Moves to New Liberty. — Visits Mount Byrd. 

In the spring of 1866, we sold out at Alexandria, 
and spent most of the summer in Oldham county, 
among- our friends, while I was recuperating my 
health. 

The meeting-house at La Grange had been blown 
down in a storm, and at the solicitation of the church 
I visited a number of congregations and obtained help 
to rebuild it. Midway was one of the places visited. 
Bro. Franklin was there holding a meeting. This was 
my first acquaintance with that grand hero of the Cross 
of Christ. 

In September we moved to Crittenden, Ky. I 
preached for that church and at Williamstown, each 
half the time, for the rest of that year, and for 1867. 
The churches were both at low ebb. They had had no 
regular preaching for some time ; had not met on 
Lord's day; had no discipline; and everything was in 
decay and disorder. 

I decided upon a plan of work for each church. 

The first point was to get them to meet on the Lord's 

day and break the loaf, having social worship, when 

I could not be with them. This done, we carefully 

revised the church records, excluding whom we 

71 



72 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

could not induce to attend the house of the Lord and 
to try to discharge their Christian duties. This was 
followed by protracted meetings at neighboring 
school-houses, through which quite a number were 
added to both churches. Meetings were then held in 
each church. By this time both churches were in a 
prosperous condition They both had good Sunday- 
schools, and a number of members were taking an ac- 
tive part in the work of the church. We disposed of 
the old house in Williamstown, and got the new house 
roofed in 1867. We also repaired the house at Critten- 
den, getting it in nice order, and putting in a bap- 
tistery. 

For the year 1868, the church at Crittenden wanted 
all my time, and I gave up the church at Williams- 
town, devoting all my energies to the one church. We 
arranged a book in which each member promised to 
pay so much a week. Envelopes were given them, 
through which they were to pay their weekly install- 
ment on each Lord's day. The congregations were 
large and regular, and double the amount of money 
was thus collected that had ever been raised before. 

That was before the days of Sunday-school " helps," 
and we made memorizing the Scriptures a prominent 
feature in the work. The first of January, 1868, I of- 
fered a reward to the one memorizing and repeating the 
most Scripture that year. Quite a number started in 
to win the prize, but it was soon evident that the con- 
test was between three girls. The amount of Scripture 
memorized was immense. All the scholars memorized 
largely. Soon it required a teacher's whole time to 
hear the verses of one of those girls. Then we had 
them recite during the week ; and, finally, I had them 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 73 

examined on the Scripture committed, repeating here 
and there as called on. This was harder than repeating 
it all. The first of June another little girl entered the 
lists. On the day they were examined they could re- 
peat with ease and accuracy any passage committed to 
memory during the year. They were examined for sev- 
eral hours. 

Incredible as it may appear, two of these girls com- 
mitted the whole Bible, and another committed Ander- 
son's Translation of the New Testament in addition ; 
still another did not begin till June, and com.mitted the 
Bible by the end of the year. I never intended such a 
result, nor can I approve that way of cramming the 
memory. 

While the church at Crittenden was in other re- 
spects in a flourishing condition (indeed, rather too 
much flourish), it was difficult to get it to act promptly 
and strictly in the administration of discipline. The 
officers and church generally had more lax ideas on 
that subject than I had. But in this particular I sup- 
pose they were about on a par with most other congre- 
gations in Kentucky, both among our people and 
others. Indeed, I must confess that at that time I was 
unusually strict in such matters. I wanted everything 
pertaining to the church to come square up to the 
mark in all respects, and . I was unnecessarily worried 
over every shortcoming. On account of not having 
discipline attended to as strictly as I desired, I was dis- 
posed to resign at the close of 1868. But the elders 
promised more hearty cooperation in the matter, and I 
accepted for another year conditionally. I stated pub- 
licly that I would begin on three months' trial, and if 
at the end of that time the church had not so cooper- 



74 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

ated with me as to effect certain ends, our engagement 
would close. I did not succeed in getting the coopera- 
tion desired, and the first Lord's day in April I an- 
nounced to a crowded house that my relation to them 
as preacher had closed. It fell upon them like a thun- 
der-clap from a clear sky. I stated the reasons, which 
they understood, but had not regarded. Thus ended 
my ministry with that church. 

My preaching at Crittenden, and the subsequent 
history of the church, impressed upon me a very im- 
portant lesson, upon which I acted in after life. While 
everything was *' booming, " I could not teach them self- 
reliance. They depended upon me. I had to take the 
lead in everything. Consequently, when I left, it was 
just like taking the engine off a big lot of machinery. 
Everything came to a standstill. I feared this, and 
tried to guard against it. The material, however, was 
of such a nature that it was next to impossible to get 
them to go forward in church work without being led. 
But I was so impressed with the virtual loss of my 
work then, that I made it a special point, ever after, to 
develop the church in self-reliance, and make it largely 
independent of a preacher. 

In 1869 I decided that it was not best for the Mas- 
ter's cause for me to longer give all my time to the 
Crittenden church, as I wanted them to learn to do 
without me. So the first of January I engaged to 
preach for the church at New Liberty, Owen county, 
one-half my time. Resigning at Crittenden in April, 
in May I moved to New Liberty. Here I found a 
good, substantial set of brethren, and did a substantial 
work. We soon had a good Sunday-school, renovated 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 75 

the house, cut off a lot of dead material, and got the 
church in good working order. 

In May, 1869, I held a successful meeting in Owen- 
ton, and established the cause in that place. Up to 
this time we had no organization there. In 1870 I 
held them the second meeting. The cause continued to 
grow there. In a few years they built a house of wor- 
ship. The church has generally been in a prosperous 
condition. 

In August of this year, I held another meeting for 
my old home church, Pleasant Hill. It resulted in a 
goodly number of additions. It was always a peculiar 
pleasure to hold a meeting among these old associates, 
and I held quite a number. 

In August, 1869, Bro. I. B. Grubbs and I met at 
Mt. Byrd to hold a protracted meeting. It was the 
first in their new house, after its completion. We had 
an enjoyable and successful meeting. This was my in- 
troduction to Mt. Byrd, which has since afforded 
me a home, has stood by me through good and evil 
fortune, has never wavered in its devotion and fidelity, 
and among whose good members my frail body will 
rest, till it rises in the likeness of Christ. 

Here I might as well express my views upon the 
lack of church discipline, as they have been formed 
from an extensive observation in this and other States. 
I must, however, do this briefly. No one can read the 
epistles of the apostles, and especially those of Paul, 
and not be profoundly impressed with the belief that 
the administration of discipline engaged a large share 
of their attention; and we may infer the necessity of 
this from the very nature of the case. The first 
churches were largely formed of Gentile converts, and 



76 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

these came from heathenism ; and they had to be re- 
covered from its debasing practices ; and even the 
converts from among the Jews had to be reformed 
from many evil ways. Any one . who will read even 
casually Paul's pastoral epistles will see these evils 
and sins exposed. These were contrary to the purity 
and benevolence of the new religion, and hence the 
necessity of self-denial and constant diligence on the 
part of both people and pastors. 

"The times have changed and we have changed 
with them," but \ki^ forms of sin have changed rather 
than the thing itself, and we have as much need to 
practice watchcare over ourselves and others as ever. 
It was Cain that asked, '* Am I my brother's keeper?" 

I am satisfied that the two crying needs in our 
Kentucky churches, and I suppose elsewhere, are the 
faithful administration of discipline by our elders and 
activity in Christian work by our members. I think 
we are growing in the latter, and fear we are falling off 
in the former. The reasons for both these opinions are 
not, in my opinion, hard to find. Had I time and 
strength I should like to give them in full. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

History of the Mt. Byrd Church. — When Established. — Where. — 
Charter Members. — Officers. — Preachers. — Number of Members. — 
Three Things Contributing to its Prosperity. — New House of 
Worship. — Serious Trouble in the Church. — How Settled. — Method 
of Raising Money. — The Church Builds Allen a House. — Organizes 
a Sunday-school. — How it is Conducted. 

Since the history of Mt. Byrd church from 1869 till 
my death will be an inseparable part of my history, 
the two being linked together, the church is destined to 
be known, and is known to-day, wherever I am known. 
And as a part of its history will be given, I think it 
would be more satisfactory to all who may feel inter- 
ested in it, and more profitable as a study, if an out- 
line of its career from the beginning were known, I 
therefore insert it here. 

In 1832, Isaac Foster, then a Baptist preacher, 
came into this community preaching the principles of 
reform as advocated by Thomas and Alexander Camp- 
bell. The people gave heed to his teaching concerning 
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, and 
on the second Lord's day in September, 1832, at the 
house of David Floyd, on the top of the Ohio River 
hill, opposite Hanover College, Ind., a church was estab- 
lished. The followihg were the charter members : 
James Lindsey, Hatty Ann Lindsey, William Maddox, 
Elizabeth Maddox, David Floyd, John B. Floy4, Miss 

Mary A. Trout, Miss Catherine Trout, Miss Pris- 

77 



78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

cilia B. Trout, Miss Sally Trout, Miss Saloma Over- 
peck, Miss Julia Ann Lindsey, Miss Artamisia Cooper, 
Mrs. Minerva Cooper. 

James Lindsey and his wife, Hatty A., were formerly 
members of the Old Christian Connection, at Cane 
Ridge, Ky. William Maddox and his wife, Elizabeth, 
were from the Baptists. The rest were admitted by 
immersion. 

William Maddox and John B. Floyd were appointed 
elders, and David Lloyd deacon. 

For a time they met and worshiped in private 
houses. They then built a meeting-house, near the 
river bluff, on the farm of Bro. David Floyd. It was 
of hewed logs, and primitive in architecture. It was 
called Mt. Olivet. They met every Lord's day to 
break bread, to worship God and to edify one an- 
other in love. Much of the long-continued pros- 
perity of the Mt. Byrd church is doubtless due to 
beginning with good material and on correct principles. 

In that early day the church enjoyed the visits of 
such men as Isaiah Cornelius, Allen Kendrick, L. L. 
Fleming, Jesse Mavity, Wm. Brown, and others. The 
church increased in number rapidly. 

In a short time several families of standing and in- 
fluence moved into the present neighborhood of Mt. 
Byrd and south of it, from Woodford county, Ky. The 
house was unfavorably located, being on the extreme 
edge of the territory from which the membership must 
come. It was agreed by all parties to build another 
house, farther back from the river, in a more desirable 
locality. About 1837 this house was built on the farm 
of Brq. Robert Moffett, at the crossing of the Strother 
and Cooper roads, about two and one-half miles from 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 79 

the other house, and one and one-half south of Milton. 
It was a commodious frame building. The site is now 
on the corner of Bro. Allen's place, two hundred yards 
from his house. It was called Mt. Byrd, from the fact 
that it was on part of a large survey of land known as 
the Byrd survey; and the *' Mt." was due to its eleva- 
tion. It was understood that so soon as certain obsta- 
cles were removed, the two churches were to become 
one. Hence the house was used a year or two before 
our organization was established. And, in one view 
of the case, Mt. Byrd had its origin in 1832; and in 
another, in 1839. 

On the second day of August, being the first Lord's 
day, 1839, an organization was established on the fol- 
lowing covenant: 

" We, the undersigned individuals, agree to have fel- 
lowship with each other, and to be united together in 
the bonds of Christian affection according to all the 
rules of conduct and requirements of God, as contained 
in His Word — the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- 
ments." 

CHARTER MEMBERS. 

Robert Moffett, Elizabeth Moffett, Lucinda Moffett, 
Sarah Ann Moffett, Catherine Stipes, Alexander Mof- 
fett, Nancy Moffett, EmUy Moffett, Harriet Moffett, 
Jane Moffett, Porter Fisher, Caroline Fisher, Hayden 
Fisher, Robert Thompson, Anna F. Thompson, Polly 
Blake, Elizabeth Taylor, Susan Taylor, Zachariah Tay- 
lor, Sally Taylor. 

Porter Fisher was chosen elder. 

In September following. Dr. Curtis J. Smith and 
Newton Short held them a meeting, resulting in forty 
additions. 



80 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

The members of the first organization began to 
move their membership to Mt. Byrd, and soon the two 
congregations were one. 

The following is a list of the overseers of the 
church, in their order, from its establishment till 1885 : 

Porter Fisher, Hayden Fisher, John B. Floyd, 
James Jones, Samuel Morris, John A. Bain, Isaac 
Trout, John S. Maddox, Jacob Trout, George Craig, 
F. G. Allen. 

The following are the names of the preachers who 
have served the church a stated length of time : 

Porter Fisher, Hiram Stark, J. Newton Payne, Dr. 
C. J. Smith, Henry Rice, Jesse Mavity, Dr. Sadler, J. 
A. Bain, G. B. Moore, A. A. Knight, J. C. Walden, 
J. V. Price, F. G. Allen. 

In addition to meetings held by the regular preach- 
ers, it has enjoyed the evangelistic labors of some of 
the ablest preachers in the Reformation. 

From its organization to June, 1885, there were 
added to the church, at various times and in various 
ways, 982 members. At this time (June 12, 1885) the 
membership is 350. 

In addition to removals, deaths, exclusions, etc., 
we gave a large number to the Bedford Church when it 
last organized (1874), and our colored membership or- 
ganized to themselves in 1877. Also the nucleus of 
the Beech Grove church went from here. 

Three things, that have had much to do with the 
prosperity of this church, deserve special mention — 
their course during the war, their way of choosing 
church officers, and their method of church discipline. 

During the war the church remained in a peaceful 
and prosperous condition. At the beginning they were 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 8 1 

of one mind in the decision that the rehgion of Christ 
was more important to them than pohtical interests ; 
that the war would end, but that the kingdom of God 
would not, and that they would stand for the things 
that could not be shaken by the shock of arms. A 
large number of young men of the community were in 
the service, and they wanted to be in a spiritual condi- 
tion to take care of such of them as should return. 
Though soldiers of both armies were frequently in the 
neighborhood, the church continued the service of God 
and the discharge of Christian duty as if the peace of 
the country was undisturbed. Consequently, when the 
war was over, they had no alienations to adjust, no 
broken down walls to rebuild, no breaches to close up. 
They needed no reconstruction. Their history demon- 
strates that even cruel war need not necessarily alienate 
the people of God. The congregation was not a unit 
in political sympathy, but they allowed no mixing 
of politics with religion, in the pulpit or elsewhere, 
on either side. Strong rebels from Kentucky and 
strong Union men from Indiana filled the pulpit during 
the time, but with the understanding that they preach 
the gospel and not politics — no difference was made. 

Till 1867 the method of selecting church officers 
was by popular ballot. They were thus selected ac- 
cording to the feelings, and tastes, and prejudices of 
men, women and children, many of whom are always 
controlled by personal likes and dislikes. At this time 
a change was made that resulted in great good. The 
change was to this effect, that a committee in whom the 
church have perfect confidence be appointed to select 
elders and deacons. When selected, their names are 
submitted to the congregation, and two weeks given 



82 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

during which objections may be made privately to the 
committee. Should objections be made to any one, 
Vv'hich are considered valid, and can not be removed, 
that name is dropped and another substituted. It is 
understood from the beginning, by all parties, that the 
objections are to be kept private, and if a candidate is 
dropped on account of objections, he has no right to 
demand the name of the objector nor the objections. 
When objections are not made, or they no longer exist, 
it is understood that the selection is ratified by the 
church. The parties are then set apart to their work 
by fasting, prayer and the laying on of hands. In this 
way a better selection is made, and the church is much 
more impressed with the importance of the official 
work, and of their obligation to those set apart, as co- 
operants in the work. The plan gave entire satisfac- 
tion, and the church ever after observed it. 

When I began to preach for the church, I 
introduced a plan of disciplinary work which I had 
observed since my labors with the Crittenden Church. 
The leading idea in it was to save the offender, and the 
church was impressed with that fact. The relatives and 
friends of the offending party were enlisted in an effort 
with the preachers and elders to save him, with the 
understanding that if this could not be done, the law 
of the Lord must be enforced in his exclusion. Such 
efforts rarely failed, and, when they did, those most 
likely to be hurt about his exclusion felt that they had 
failed in trying to save him, and that all was done that 
could be done. When such efforts failed, the case was 
then stated to the church, and if any one thought that he 
might accomplish something, and wished an opportun- 
ity to try, action was delayed till he did what he could, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 83 

and thus the whole moral force of the church was ex- 
erted. When all felt that nothing more could be 
done, the law of the Lord was executed, the church 
withdrew its fellowship, and the occasion was made as 
solemn and impressive as possible. There was no 
voting as to whether or not they would exclude him. 
That is a matter of divine legislation on which we have 
no right to vote. The sense of the congregation was 
taken only as to whether or not they had done all they 
could to save the offender, and had thus comphed with 
the law of the Lord in this respect. In twenty years, 
with much attention to disciplinary work, I have never 
had the least trouble or evil consequence result from a 
case of exclusion. 

In 1867 they built a new house of worship, about a 
quarter of a mile nearer Milton than was the old house. 
It is a large and substantial frame. 

When Mt, Byrd was established there were several 
strong Methodist and Baptist churches within a few 
miles. They have all dwindled into comparative insig- 
nificance, and Mt. Byrd has the controlling influence in 
the county. Her territory extends sixteen miles along 
the Ohio River and eight miles back. 

I engaged to preach for Mt. Byrd Church one-half 
my time, beginning the first of October, 1869. It is 
thirty miles from New Liberty, and at that time it was 
reached by a dirt road terribly muddy in the winter. I 
went back and forth on horseback. I arranged to have 
my two Sundays come together, and spent the inter- 
vening week visiting the congregation and preaching at 
some neighboring school-house. I thus made but one 
trip a month. My health was very poor, and each visit 
I made they thought would be the last. 



84 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

After I began preaching at Mt. Byrd, I discovered 
a very serious trouble in the church, of which I before 
knew nothing. I saw, from its nature and the men in- 
volved in it, that unless it was peaceably and perma- 
nently settled, the church would be effectually ruined. 
And circumstances indicated that it was next to im- 
possible to secure such a settlement. I was deeply 
concerned about it. 

The difficulty grew out of a man's making engage- 
ments to teach two schools at once, and consequently 
having to disappoint one of the parties. They had de- 
pended on him, and thereby lost the opportunity of 
getting a good teacher. They felt grievously wronged, 
and sued for damages. The teacher was a poor* man, 
not able to fight the suit, and he so worked upon his 
patrons that they promised to stand by him and defend 
him in court. A large number of good and influential 
brethren were involved in it, and they had worked up 
a very bad state of feeling. Bro. J. S. Maddox, the 
leading elder, stood by me faithfully in the work. We 
labored incessantly day and night for over two weeks 
before we accomplished our purpose. I preached in 
the two school-houses alternately, day and night, so as 
to reach all of both parties ; for they would not go to 
each other's houses. The rest of the time was spent 
in visiting and laboring privately with the disaffected 
members. The preaching was all directed to the one 
special end. Sometimes we would have it nearly com- 
pleted as we thought, and then the trouble would break 
out again. One day our hearts beat with joyous hope, 
and the next we were depressed and discouraged. 

Finally, they agreed to arbitrate the matter if I 
alone would act as arbitrator. I tried hard to reason 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 85 

them out of this, for I felt almost certain that I would 
sacrifice myself in so doing. I felt that I could hardly 
hope to retain the friendship of both parties in such a 
complicated matter, over which there was so much 
bad feeling. But, finding that there was no other way 
of settlement, I concluded that the sacrifice of myself 
was a small matter as compared with the ruin of the 
church, and I consented. All parties agreed to abide 
by my decision in good faith, bury all their animosities, 
and be at peace among themselves. I wrote out care- 
fully the whole case, giving my decision on each point, 
and the reasons therefor. I read it at a meeting at 
which all were present. They all signed it, and "the 
trouble was forever ended. Both parties kept it in 
good faith, and I retained their fraternal love. 

When the church had been "rounded up,^' and all 
dead matter cast off, we had 240 members on the list. 
Some new deacons were appointed, till we had seven 
in all. Not because there were seven appointed at 
Jerusalem, but because we needed that number and had 
material out of which to make them. We divided the 
congregation into seven districts, each deacon having 
his boundary defined. Each had a list of all the mem- 
bers in his district, and it was his duty to obtain a sub- 
scription from each member and collect it. Each child 
of a family made his own subscription. All were ex- 
pected to give something, unless they were beneficiaries 
of the church. This system has several advantages: 
(i) More money is obtained than when given only by 
heads of families. (2) Each one feels that he is a factor 
in the church, not an overlooked cipher, and this does 
him good. It stimulates him to do something. (3) In 
training each one to give, however little they may be 



86 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

able, there is developed in them a right spirit and a very 
important principle. 

A business meeting- was held every three months. 
At these the deacons made their reports, and squared 
accounts with the preacher. Thus the exact financial con- 
dition of the church was known. Cases of discipline, 
missions, charities, and everything pertaining to the in- 
terests of the church, were freely discussed. A record 
was kept of everything done. These meetings were held 
on Saturday, and the next day a statement was made 
to the church of what was done, and their sanction ob- 
tained to such matters as it was thought best to submit. 

With a thorough organization, systematic working, 
and the happy settlement of the big trouble over which 
all were filled with anxiety, the church took on new 
life, and ever after continued in an active, growing- 
condition. 

The brethren soon petitioned me to move into their 
midst. I jocularly told them I would do so if they 
would give me a good home. The suggestion was no 
sooner made than accepted. Bro. J. H. Mofifett gave 
me eight acres of ground just where I wanted it, and 
he and the rest of the brethren agreed to build me a 
house. I was permitted to plan just such a house as I 
wanted, and they would see that it was built. No ob- 
ligation whatever was required of me as a condition. I 
was free to dispose of it and leave them at any time, if 
I wished to do so. It was all a matter of trust. The 
outside improvements were also made mostly by the 
brethren. I may say here that in the fifteen years I 
preached for that church, not a man ever charged me a 
cent for anything he ever did for me, and they did 
everything that I needed to have done. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 8/ 

In the spring of 1870 we organized a Sunday-school. 
It ranged usually, one year with another, from 125 to 
150. One peculiar feature about it was that a large 
number of old people attended. In a word, the church 
went into the Sunday-school. The teachers have all 
the time been of the older brethren and sisters, and 
many men and women of middle age and beyond have 
been in the classes. We kept a record of the attend- 
ance, recitations, contributions, etc., thus indicating 
the regularity of the work. The record shows that 
there were perfect, in recitations and attendance, 
twenty-six in 1873, thirty-four in 1874, and twenty in 
1875. This is a fair sample for the fifteen years. The 
school is still in a fine condition. Some members have 
not missed a single recitation in five years. 

From the beginning we have adhered to the rule of 
opening on the last Sunday in April and continuing till 
Christmas. The congregation being scattered over a 
large district, and the roads being bad in winter, we have 
been in the habit of dismissing the children for the rest 
of the year ; but all the older people form one class, 
and are taught the Scriptures by the preacher or elder 
of the church from the first of January till the last of 
April. 

I am satisfied this is a good arrangement for churches 
in the country, where the membership is much scat- 
tered. It works well at Mt. Byrd, and I don 't see why 
it may not work well elsewhere under the same cir- 
cumstances. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

He Moves to Mt. Byrd. — Debate with J. W. Fitch.— Preaches at 
Madison, Ind. — Protracted Meetings at Columbia, Burksville, 
Thompson's Church, Dover, Germantov^n, Pleasant Hill, Burks- 
ville again, Beech Grove, Dover again. 

In September, 1870, we moved to the neighborhood 
of Mt. Byrd. My house not being completed, we Hved 
in the lower end of Hunter's Bottom, above Milton. We 
spent here a very pleasant year. I gave a good deal 
of time to the building, helping in whatever I could do, 
which was quite a benefit to my health. I continued 
to preach at New Liberty half my time during this 
year and 1871. The last of October, 1871, we got into 
our new house. It is about three hundred yards from 
the church, beautifully situated on the main thorough- 
fare to Milton and Madison. 

In 1 87 1 I held two meetings in CarroUton, Ky. The 
cause was very low there at that time. Our band was 
feeble ; and the place almiost entirely given to sectarian- 
ism. We had no place of worship, and the court-house 
in which we met was not comfortable. Some of the 
prominent members had become very worldly. Be- 
cause I preached against their sins, they became much 
offended, but the offense was to reformation. They 
afterwards built a meeting-house, and they are now in 
good condition. 

Nov. 2, 1 87 1, I began my first public religious debate. 
It was at Mt. Bryd, and with Presiding Elder J. W. Fitch. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 89 

It came about in this way : At a Quarterly Conference 
in the county, the preachers and prominent men 
present, to the number of fourteen, drew up and sent 
me a formal challenge to meet C. W. Miller, at Mt. Byrd 
(this being by far the largest house in the county), and 
debate certain designated propositions. At that time I 
had a very bad opinion of Mr. Miller, and there was no 
good feeling existing between us In reply to their 
communication I said : ' ' You have a number of brethren 
in Kentucky of equal or superior ability to Mr. Miller, 
whom I can meet as Christian gentlemen, and when I 
liave the promise of such a disputant, I shall be ready to 
arrange propositions." They then applied to Mr. 
Fitch, and a correspondence between us was opened. 
My purpose then, and ever since in debating with 
Methodists, was to discuss the system of Methodism, 
instead of a few isolated propositions. In that way the 
people see what Methodism is ; in this, they do not. 
We finally agreed that each would affirm that the polity 
and practice of the church with which he was identi- 
fied are authorized by the word of God. 

An immense crovvd attended the debate. The 
weather was beautiful, and we had dinner on the ground. 
Each affirmed for three days. My affirmation closed 
Saturday afternoon. The President Moderator an- 
nounced that the debate would be resumed at lO o'clock 
Monday, on the polity of the Methodist Church, Mr. 
Fitch affirming. Monday, Mr. Fitch declined to dis- 
cuss the polity of his church, giving as a reason that it 
was if no consequence, and he wanted to give all his 
time to more important matters. He further stated 
that he had agreed to discuss the polity of the church 
simply in order to get the debate, not that it was worth 



go AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

discussing. I happened to have in my pocket a letter 
in which he had insisted on the discussion of the poHtjr 
of the two churches as a very important matter. This 
was read. The President Moderator — Col. Preston — 
ruled that he must either debate the question, as agreed 
upon, or concede that it was indefensible ; and he 
yielded. We learned afterward, just what we then 
suspected, that the preachers present, of whom there 
were about twelve, held a council on Saturday night, 
and protested against his discussing the polity of the 
church. 

The debate created a great deal of interest and in- 
vestigation in the community, and within nine months 
following, over one hundred were added to the church. 
Of these, quite a number were from the Baptists and 
Methodists. 

A rather curious thing occurred during the debate. 
While on the practice of the M. E. Church, I made 
a raid on the mourners' bench, describing its workings 
and demanding authority for it. Mr. Fitch jumped up, 
very much excited, and called me to order. His point of 
order was that the M. E. Church, South, had abandoned 
the mourners' bench ; that it was now countenanced 
only by a few ignorant preachers for whose conduct the 
church was not willing to be held responsible. And 
as it was no longer a part of the practice of the church, 
he was not there to affirm that it was authorized by the 
word of God. The President appealed to all the Meth- 
odist preachers present to know if that was the case. 
The last one of them said **yes." In three weeks 
I went to Carrollton to hold a meeting, and the two 
most prominent preachers at the debate were there 
in a meeting, and they had the mourners' bench out 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 9 1 

twice a day, and six or eight mourners were striving to 
''get through !" What are we to think of such as that? 

By preaching at adjacent school-houses, the mem- 
bership of the church was considerably increased. This 
plan was continued till my editorial work on the Guide 
interfered with it. 

About seven miles back from Mt. Byrd the Meth- 
odists had an old house, and a weak church where they 
years ago had a strong one. We had quite a number 
of members in that neighborhood. By our assisting in 
rebuilding the old chapel, we held by written contract 
a fourth interest in it. This gave us the use of the 
house one Sunday in the month, and at such other 
times as it was not occupied by the Methodists. This 
we did in order to have a place to preach in that com- 
munity, and especially for protracted meetings. We 
also rented the Presbyterian house in Milton, by the 
year, for the same purpose. 

In 1872 I engaged to preach at Carrollton and 
White's Run, both in Carroll county, once a month at 
each. I held a meeting for each church, and got the 
membership, to some extent, reconstructed. 

But in May I was called to preach for the church^Jn 
Madison, Ind., one-half my time. It being so conven- 
ient — ^just across the river from me — and an import- 
ant field, I got the churches at Carrollton and White's 
Run to release me, and I entered on my work in Madi- 
son the first of June, 1871. I preached for them the 
rest of that year. I held a protracted meeting in Oc- 
tober. The number of additions for the seven months 
was small. Finding that they needed a preacher all 
the time, since they had no one to lead them in the ab- 
sence of a preacher, and wishing to devote half my 



92 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

time to evangelizing, I resigned and induced them to 
get Bro. J. H. Hardin in my place. 

In November, 1872, I had a fine meeting at Colum- 
bia, Ky. This was before the college there was built. 
Bro. J. H. Hardin was preaching for the church. Bro. 
Azbill has since built up the church, but was that year 
in Butler University. The fruits of my first meeting 
there are manifest to this day. Prominent among 
these is the efficient work of Dr. U. L. Taylor, who 
was formerly a Methodist, but for years has been the 
stay of the congregation and college in that place. 

In 1873 I gave one-half my time to holding meet- 
ings. In March I went to Burksville, Cumberland 
county, Ky. The church had had no preaching for a 
long time, and was not meeting on the Lord's day. 
There were a few faithful ones, especially sisters, but 
the majority had gone to the world. We had over forty 
additions. The membership was organized for work, a 
Sunday-school was established, a preacher secured, and 
the church entered on a long period of prosperity. 
Two preachers were the result of this meeting— C. M. 
McPherson, of the Apostolic Guide, and E. J. Ellison, 
nojK of Glasgow, Ky. They had been immersed, but, 
with many others, had strayed from the fold. They 
were reclaimed and put to work, and to-day they are 
faithful ministers of the Word. 

As showing what may result from a word timely 
spoken, a young lady from Nashville, now the wife of 
Bro. McPherson, was visiting a sister at Burksville. 
She was a devoted Episcopalian, talented and accom- 
plished. One day she was telling me about her church 
and preacher, etc. , and the work she was trying to do 
for the Master. I asked her if she had ever obeyed 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 93 

the gospel. She looked amazed, and remarked that 
that was a strange question to ask a church member.. 
I told her I feared that many church members, and 
even devoted ones, had never obeyed the gospel ; and 
in a few words explained the reason why. She soon 
made the confession and was immersed, stating after- 
wards that that question led to an entire change of re- 
ligious views. 

In May I held a meeting at Thompson's Church, in 
Robinson county. The meeting was of no special im- 
portance ; the number of additions was small, and no 
important results any way. Willis Cox was preaching 
for the church. 

At this meeting the wealthiest man in the church 
was greatly taken with the preaching, said he intended 
to go to Dover, twenty odd miles away, to hear me 
there, had three of his children immersed, and was al- 
most too happy to behave himself. He gave a tivo 
cent copper to help pay the expenses of the meeting ! 
This was all they could get out of him. He got so 
happy that it dried up the fountain of his liberality. 

In June I held a meeting at Dover, Mason county. 
This w^as an old church, and once a prosperous one, 
but a bad spirit had been engendered during the war, 
and it had virtually gone to pieces. They were meet- 
ing, and had a preacher employed, Bro. Willis Cox ; 
but only a few members were concerned about the 
things of Zion. They had had no additions for so long 
that the town was full of young people who had grown 
up out of the church. The brethren expected no ad- 
ditions, but wanted a meeting for the encouragement 
of the faithful few. This was the way they put it 
when they engaged me to hold the meeting. The 



94 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

house was well-filled from the first, and in a few nights 
crowded. They paid profound attention to the Word. 
This led me to hope for additions, but the brethren 
hooted at the idea. I preached only at night and on the 
Lord's day. On the ninth night they made a move, and 
continued to move till fifty-seven were added. I baptized 
fifty. The deepest religious interest prevailed that I ever 
had in any of my meetings. No telling what the result 
would have been, had I not been taken sick and com- 
pelled to leave. As I was going to the boat to return 
home, I went by the church. It was crowded. I had 
just a few minutes. I went in and explained the situa- 
tion, and proposed to take the confession of any that 
wished to make it, before I left. Without a word of 
exhortation two came forward. Thus I left them. 

Nearly all the young people of the town came into 
the church, so that there was no outside element left to 
get up mischief, and it is gratifying to know how faith- 
fully they held out. The church has ever since been 
in active working order. 

In July I held a meeting at Germantown, Bro. J. 
C. Walden was preaching for them. We had a pleas- 
ant meeting, but no special results. 

In August I held another good meeting at my old 
home church — Pleasant Hill, in Oldham county. I held 
them a meeting each year for five or six years. While 
they were slow to assist me when I was struggling for 
a start, after I got well under way they were quite 
liberal in reward of my labor. But one dollar at the 
first would have done me more good, because more 
needed, than five at the time they were given. This is 
a mistake made by many churches. 

In October, 1873, I held another meeting at Burks- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 95 

ville. This was also a fine meeting-, but not quite so 
many additions were made as at the one in March pre- 
ceding. 

In November I had a good meeting at Beech 
Grove, a country church in Trimble county, eight miles 
from Mt. Byrd. 

In December I w^as again at Dover. We had 
another excellent meeting, but there was not material 
for so many converts as at first. This visit was 
mainly for the membership, to rid the church of some 
dead material, and put it into good working order. 
On account of getting sick at the previous meeting, I 
had to leave before this needed work was accomplished. 
Thus ended my labors for 1873. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Begins Preaching at Beech Grove. — Debates with Elder Hiner, — Amus- 
ing Incident. — Holds many Meetings. — Debates with Elder 
Frogge. — Debates again with Elder Hiner. — Repudiates Miller's 
Book. — Sick Again. — Holds more Meetings. 

In 1874 I engaged to preach once a month for the 
Beech Grove Church. 

Beginning January 20th, at a Methodist church near 
Beech Grove, I held a debate with Elder Robert Hiner. 
The debate continued eight days. It was largely at- 
tended, though the roads and weather were bad. The 
feeling throughout the debate was good, but hardly so 
much so as at the one held at Mt. Byrd with Elder Fitch. 
A very amusing thing occurred. Mr. Hiner brought 
all of his books, and, coming through Bedford, he got 
all of Mr. Young's, the preacher at that place. They 
made a perfect wagon load. He obtained a long table, 
like a carpenter's bench, and stacked them up on it. I 
soon discovered that it was all for a show, and the ques- 
tion was how to most successfully burlesque it. I first 
thought of sending to Bedford and getting a large wagon- 
load of Patent Office Reports and the like, and stacking 
them up on my table. But in my room I discovered a 
little toy-book, about an inch long, called "Orphan 
Willie." This I took to church in my vest pocket, 
with a few leaves carefully turned down. After allud- 
ing to his "silent artillery," as I had done before, I 

drew out " Orphan Willie," and planted it on the pulpit 

96 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 9/ 

in position to effectually blow up his entire battery, 
with the assurance that that was going to be done. I 
had laughed over the idea till I thought I could do it 
without laughing. But in this I failed ; and the whole 
audience, Methodist preachers and all, got into such a 
laugh that I lost half my speech. But the books were 
put out of sight, and thus ended the scarecrow busi- 
ness. 

During the debate Mr. Hiner expressed the opinion 
that I would yet come back to the Methodist church. 
I told him he might as well talk of a full-grown rooster, 
spurs and all, going back into the shell that hatched it. 
For a long time this gave me the sobriquet of *'01d 
Chicken." Some brethren use it even now. 

While on the design of baptism, Mr, Hiner re- 
marked that if he believed baptism was for the remis- 
sion of sins, he would live on a creek or river and be 
baptized every time he sinned. I gave it as my opinion 
that in that case he would find it a very difficult matter 
to keep any dry clothes ! 

During this year I held meetings at Louisville, 
Crittenden, Cove Hill, Burksville and Glasgow, with 
varied success. 

In 1875 I held meetings at Glasgow, CarroUton, 
Campbellsville, Burksville, Bedford, Hodgenville and 
Columbia. 

In July of this year I debated twelve days, at Burks- 
ville, with Presiding Elder Frogge. He was the great 
champion of Methodism in Southern Kentucky. He 
had had a great many debates, and, while he was very 
ready and glib in his line of debating, I soon discovered 
that his scholarship and reading were both very limited, 
exceedingly so ; and I intentionally widened the range 



gS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

of controversy more than was my wont, to see what he 
would do — and he was completely lost. His forte in 
debating is wit and ridicule, by which he gets his op- 
ponents angry and confused. He tried this hard for 
three days, till he rendered himself offensive to all. It 
was rumored that his brethren then held a council and 
told him that this must be stopped ; that he must de- 
bate the questions on their merits or quit ; that he was 
bringing the cause into disrepute. The county paper, 
edited by a scholarly Episcopalian, was very severe in 
its criticism of his conduct. This caused much excite- 
ment among the Methodists. When he had to quit his 
efforts to get me excited, he was no longer himself. 
This debate was held at the request of the Baptists. 
Mr. Frogge and a Baptist preacher had debated near 
there the fall before, and, the Baptist having failed, had 
to give up the discussion. Mr. Frogge then left a broad 
and boastful challenge for any immersionist. The Bap- 
tists were very sore over it, and when I went there in 
the winter to hold a meeting they requested me to ac- 
cept his challenge. J referred them to the brethren, 
and with their concurrence I entered upon the dis- 
cussion. 

In November I held another debate with Mr. Hiner, 
this time at Bedford, Ky. It continued eight days. 
This created the most intense excitement I ever saw in 
a meeting-house. At the two previous debates in the 
county I repudiated C. W. Miller's book {^Points of 
Controversy) as authority. It is the book that Dr. Ditz- 
ler exposed. Our opponents said I would not dare to do 
that where Miller was. They had him at this debate. 
Mr. Hiner read from it a passage purporting to be from 
Moses Stuart. I asked him v/hat he was reading from. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 99 

He said, * ' ' Points of Controversy, ' and you challenge 
it if you dare." I then asked for the page in Stuart's 
book where the language occurred. He refused to give 
it. I had Stuart, and the inference was that he didn't 
want the comparison made. When I got up I referred 
to what had passed about the quotation, saying I was 
willing to take Stuart for it if he had given me the page, 
but as for ** Points of Controversy," I could take noth- 
ing on its authority, for I repudiated the book and its 
author as authority in anything. This provoked a per- 
sonal wrangle with Miller, who was close to me, after 
the debate — for the day was over. The excitement was 
intense as we passed and repassed our compliments. 
Finally the house refused to hear Mr. M. Even his 
own brethren rose as one man and went out of the 
house. This so infuriated him that he left the place. 

January i, 1876, I went on the Apostolic Times with 
L B. Grubbs and S. A. Kelley. I had been writing 
for it every two weeks, by contract, for several years. 
From this time I devoted special attention to it every 
week, and, with the exception of a few months from 
the sale of the Times to Dr. Hopson and Cozine till the 
establishing of the Guide, I have been constantly en- 
gaged in editorial work. 

About the middle of January I was taken down 
with intercostal rheumatism and spinal trouble, and was 
very low for several months. Very little hope was en- 
tertained of my recovery. After the intense suffering 
was over, my system was so racked that convalescence 
was slow. The doctors agreed that it was due to nerv- 
ous exhaustion produced by overwork. For years I 
had known nothing practically of mental rest, and the 
year preceding was unusually severe on me, in my 



100 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

feeble state of health. When I held the twelve days* 
debate at Burksville the summer before, I went from 
my bed to the house and from the house to my bed. I 
was hardly any better in the one held a few weeks be- 
fore. These labors, with those given to my home 
church of over three hundred members, together with 
holding seven protracted meetings, and writing for the 
Times, all the while in feeble health, brought me down 
very low. 

I wish here to emphasize the fact that I have never 
gone out of my way to either seek or shun a religious 
debate. I repeat this statement here, lest some might 
think otherwise from the fact that I have held so many. 

After getting up again, I held meetings at Antioch, 
in Shelby county, Glasgow, Burksville, South Elkhorn, 
and at some other points. This has always been con- 
genial employment for me. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Continues to Evangelize. — Dr. Cook's Prescription. — Incident at Glen- 
dale, — Peculiar Feature in the Meeting at Madisonville. — The Frac- 
tious Preacher at Sonora, — Closes his Evangelistic Labors. — Estab- 
lishes the Old Path Guide. — The Bruner Debate. 

In 1877 I spent much time evangelizing, being 
called to hold protracted meetings at many important 
places. I accepted work at seven of these, and my 
labors were fruitful in the conversion of sinners and in 
building up the saints in their most holy faith ; but I 
had to be away from home a great deal, and my ex- 
posure in all kinds of weather, and the wear and tear of 
constant preaching, increased my lung disease. 

While preaching at Cynthiana my spinal trouble re- 
turned, causing me to close abruptly, and I could 
preach no more till July. On my return from 
Cynthiana, some friends in Cincinnati induced me to 
visit a Dr. Cook (I think that is the name). He was 
celebrated for his skill in such afflictions. He was a 
co^-pulent, jolly old gentleman, full of humor. When 
I was introduced, he looked at me for a moment with- 
out coming near, and said: ''Well, sir, you don't 
laugh enough. You take too serious a view of life. 
Why, sir, at least two inches of your spinal marrow is 
inflamed, produced by nervous exhaustion, the result 
of overwork and no mental recreation. I tell you, sir, 
all the medicine in the world will do you no good till 
you quit that and cultivate laziness. You must take a 



102 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

more cheerful view of life. And you must learn to 
laugh, not giggle a little, but laugh away down to the 
bottom of the abdomen. Then you will get well. I 
used to be a little, scrawny, sallow, nervous, over- 
worked thing Hke you are, but I saw it was going to 
kill me, and I quit it and went to laughing, and now 
see what I am?" And this was all the prescription he 
gave me. There is, doubtless, a good deal of philoso- 
phy in it. 

At Glendale a rather singular circumstance occurred. 
The first night of the meeting, I observed a very intel- 
ligent looking lady in the audience, and she was in- 
tensely interested. When we got back to the place 
where I was stopping, I asked the sister who this lady 
was. She gave her name, stating that she was the 
pride of the Methodist Church in that country ; that 
her talk at the love-feast a few weeks before had been 
the topic of conversation ever since. I remarked that 
she would not be a Methodist when that meeting was 
over. But they would not listen to the idea that she 
would ever be anything but a Methodist. She was 
present the second and third nights, and manifested the 
same intense interest. The next morning early, she 
sent to ascertain if she could have a private interview. 
When she came, she made her business known at once. 
She wanted to learn if I would immerse her and let her 
remain in the M. E. Church. Without answering her 
question, I asked her what she wanted to be immersed 
for. She said she had become convinced that she had 
never obeyed the gospel, and she wanted to be im- 
mersed because it was the Saviour's will, and her 
sprinkling was not authorized. '* Well," said I, **why 
do you want to correct your life in some things accord- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. IO3 

ing to the divine authority, and not in others?" She 
said she wanted to correct it in all respects where it was 
contrary to divine authority. I then told her that there 
were a number of things in the Methodist Church for 
which there was no more authority than there is for 
infant baptism. She inquired what, and when I told 
her, she said, ''That will do," and right away I im- 
mersed her. She had been brought up a Romanist, 
and while we were gone to the baptizing her sister 
burnt her Bible. No special persecution followed her 
change to the Methodists, but it was otherwise when 
she united with us. Her relatives, so far as known to 
me, have never become reconciled. 

The meeting at Madisonville, O., eighteen miles 
from Cincinnati, also had a peculiar feature which I 
think worthy of mention. It was the first preaching by 
our brethren ever heard in the place, and most of those 
who made the confession had never before heard it 
made. The first person called upon to make it an- 
swered aloud and distinctly : * * Yes, sir ; I believe with 
my whole heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the 
living God." All who followed answered in the same 
way. I wish it could always be so. 

In 1878 calls upon me to conduct meetings were 
multiplied, but I could comply only with those from 
Vevay, Ind., Sonora, Ky., Dover, White's Run, Co- 
lumbia, Burksville, Glendale, Oakland and Owenton. 

At Sonora, a Methodist preacher attended a few 
times, and he was remarkably fractious. Several times 
he interrupted me. One night, in preaching on the 
"Plan of Salvation," commenting on the case of the 
jailer, I remarked that the fact that the apostles some- 
times baptized households, was no evidence that they 



I04 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

baptized infants, since there are many households 
without infants. He spoke up very much excited, 
saying, ** May I ask you a question?" I told him 
yes. "Well, now," he says, ''suppose we take a 
common sense view of that matter. Suppose you 
were to come to town, and start out to baptizing 
households, and you were to go to Bro. Creel's house 
and mine, wouldn't you have to baptize infants?" 
(Bro. Creel had five little fellows, and he seven.) I 
answered, " Yes, Bro. Campbell, I admit that when- 
ever you go to a preacher's house, you are very apt to 
find them." The whole house laughed outright, and 
they never ceased laughing at that preacher till he 
left the circuit. 

These meetings were all successful in the way of 
additions, except that at Vevay. But I have never 
kept an account of my additions, and remember the 
number at only a few meetings. 

This year my regular evangelistic work closed on 
account of editing the Guide and preaching half the 
time at Portland Avenue Church, in Louisville. 

In January, 1879, ^ established the Old Path Guides 
in Louisville. I was owner, proprietor, editor, book- 
keeper, treasurer, mailing clerk, general agent, and 
special ' ' boss. " This required all my time, except what 
I had necessarily to give to preaching on the Lord's 
day and the preparation therefor. The Guide was a 
success, financially, from the beginning. I put money 
in bank the first three months of each year to pay 
every dollar of expense to the end. The net profits 
the first year were over ;^6oo, and this increased each 
year for the three years that I managed it all myself. 
The third year would have netted ;^ 1,000, but in the 



FRANK G. ALLEN. IO5 

midst of it I made the change, transferring- one-half of 
it to Cline, Marrs & Co., and giving them control of 
its business management. This was the beginning of 
financial embarrassment. The change was demanded 
by my failing health, and I could no longer do every- 
thing, as I had been doing from the first. 

That year I engaged to preach half my time for the 
Portland Avenue Church. In order to serve the Glen- 
dale church, which is fifty miles on the Louisville & 
Nashville road, the Mt. Byrd church released me one 
Sunday in the month. During the year the Portland 
Avenue Church increased 120 per cent. 

In February, 1879, ^ ^'^^^d a meeting for the Camp- 
bell St. church, Louisville. The meeting proved to be 
quite beneficial to the congregation, in many respects. 
I boarded in the city during the winter, and moved my 
family down in April. 

The church at Glendale had a partnership house — a 
very common thing in all Southwestern Kentucky. 
This prevented their meeting regularly on the Lord's 
day, and also prevented a Sunday-school, as the house 
was occupied more than half the time by others. 
Knowing that I could accomplish no substantial and 
enduring good while this state of things lasted, I made 
it a condition of preaching for them that they build a 
new house. This they did. The house is a neat frame, 
well finished inside and out, and large enough for all 
ordinary use. It was promptly built and paid for. 

In November I held a debate there — the first use 
made of the new house — with I. W. Bruner, a Baptist 
preacher. The Baptist church there and ours arranged 
for a debate, on certain specified propositions, and 
each had the privilege of selecting its representative. 



I06 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

Consequently I had nothing to do with getting up the 
debate or arranging for it. I never challenged a man 
for debate in my life, and never held one except by- 
special invitation. And I have declined more debates 
than I ever held. While I was peculiarly fond of it, I 
never debated simply for the sake of debating ; hence, 
if the circumstances were not favorable for good results, 
I always declined. This debate with Mr. Bruner was, 
I think, the poorest one I ever held, and I lost all in- 
terest in it before it was half over. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Visits Midway. — Attends the Missouri State Convention. — Reflections, 
— Annual Sermons. — Last Protracted Meeting. — Kindness of Mt. 
Byrd, Glendale and Smithfield Churches. — Gives up Office Work. 
— Goes to Eureka, III. — Country Home. — Takes Cold at the 
Lexington Convention. — Goes to Florida. 

In October, 1879, ^ visited Midway, and though I 
had virtually closed my evangelistic labors when I be- 
gan the Guide, I could not resist the desire to hold a 
meeting there. It is the seat of our Female Orphan 
School, one of our grandest enterprises. Bro. Shouse 
was then preaching for the church and Bro. Lucy was 
president of the school. Their companionship was 
highly enjoyable. What a feast to the soul is the 
companionship of wise, godly men ! It has for me the 
highest happiness I expect to know this side of heaven. 
And w'ill it not be a very prominent factor of that 
which constitutes heaven ? Any place in the universe 
of God where my brethren and the Saviour are will be 
heaven enough for me. 

In 1880 I continued at the Avenue Church, Louis- 
ville, Mt. Byrd and Glendale. The State Board of the 
Missouri Christian Missionary Society invited me to 
deliver an address before the State Convention, held 
that year at Moberly. In order to justify me in a visit 
to the State, they arranged several meetings for me — 
one in connection with the convention of Audrain 

county, at a country church near Mexico, called Sun- 

107 



I08 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

rise ; one at New London, and one at Slater. These 
meetings were all enjoyable and profitable ; but the one 
in Audrain county was only for a few days, and resulted 
in but few additions. 

The address at Moberly was on "Our Strength and 
Our Weakness." The convention was largely attended, 
and it was a great pleasure to meet so many brethren 
known only by name, and loved for their work's sake, 
and to renew the acquaintance of others known before. 
The addresses of Haley, Procter, Jones and others 
were very able. That of Jones was speculative, and the 
basic principle of it, in my opinion, erroneous. Several 
of those Missouri preachers have done much harm by 
preaching a false philosophy instead of the gospel of 
Christ. Bro. Procter, whom we all allow to be one of 
our best men and ablest preachers, went from this con- 
vention to California and held several meetings. Within 
a few months I had several applications to come out 
there to undo some of his work, and I should have 
been glad to comply had my other duties permitted. 

In 1 88 1 I resigned at the Avenue Church, as they' 
needed more pastoral labor than my other duties would 
allow me to perform. I gave half my time to Mt. 
Byrd, one-fourth to Glendale, and one-fourth to my old 
home church — Pleasant Hill, in Oldham county. It 
was a pleasure to visit these old friends of my youth 
once a month. Old memories were revived, and the 
past, in a sense, lived over again. Besides, several mem- 
bers of the families related to my wife and to myself were 
enabled to attend. To preach to them, after years of sep- 
aration, was a great pleasure. Mt. Byrd moved on in the 
even tenor of its way, in a prosperous condition. 

In August of this year, and also the year previous. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. IO9 

I preached the annual sermon at the Clark county, 
Ind., Cooperation Meeting. The county contains six- 
teen or eighteen churches, including those of Jefferson- 
ville and New Albany, and for more than forty years 
they have had an annual county meeting. Represen- 
tatives from all the churches attend, as a rule, and the 
condition, etc., of each church is given. It brings to- 
gether a great congregation, and the day meetings are 
held in the woods. 

In September of this year the Guide was changed 
to a weekly. While the monthly magazine was the 
most desirable for preservation, it was thought that a 
weekly would best serve the cause of Christ, and pecu- 
liar circumstances at that time seemed to demand it. 

In November I went to Poplar Plains and held the 
last protracted meeting of my life. It was a pleasant 
one, and attended with some good results. 

In 1882 I preached at Mt. Byrd, Glendale and 
Smithfield, that is, I engaged to preach for these 
churches, but my health was such that I preached but 
little to any. At my first visit to Smithfield, the first 
Lord's day in the year, I was taken sick, and I never 
visited them once when I was not sick. I was never 
able to so preach as to do them or myself justice* 
While this was equally so at the other churches, I did 
not regret it so much, since I had been laboring for 
them a long time. The work at Smithfield was virtu- 
ally a failure, and early in the fall I had to give it up 
entirely. Yet they paid me for the whole year, and 
made me a present of about ;^I50 besides. They are 
a noble band of brethren, and one of the most liberal 
I ever knew. 

The church at Glendale also paid for the entire year. 



no AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

though I lost much time and resigned in October. It 
also made me a generous present in addition. 

Speaking of their generosity, reminds me that the 
Mt. Byrd Church continued my salary three or four 
years when I was able to do little or nothing in return. 
In 1876 I lost most of the year through spinal and 
rheumatic affections; I did very little in 1882; I was 
in the church but once in 1883, and in 1884 I attempted 
to talk only a few times, yet all these years my salary 
continued. When the Guide was sold to the present 
Guide Printing and Publishing Company, which reheved 
me of financial embarrassments which the failure of C. 
C. Cline & Co. had produced, I refused to longer accept 
support from the church. 

In April, 1882, I was compelled, on account of 
failing health, to give up the office work of the Gtiide. 
I had been under a physician all the year, and grew 
constantly worse. I allowed the office work to make a 
heavier draft on me than some men do. I always knew 
every paragraph that was going into the paper, and 
where and how it would appear. I stood by the foreman 
and noticed everything that went in — when it went in, 
what was put in and what was left out — till the forms were 
locked up. I have never been able to get any one else 
to do it. But that is my idea of editing a paper. This 
thing of giving printers a mass of matter and telling 
them to put it in, leaving them to add or diminish, and 
put in where and what they please, is simply a burlesque 
on the business ; and yet this is the way it is largely 
done. I have had no little annoyance over just that 
thing. Had I been willing to edit in that way I could 
have continued, but I would not consent to follow 
such a course. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. Ill 

In May I went to Eureka College, to preach the 
baccalaureate sermon. I arranged to make the trip as 
easy as possible, on account of my feebleness, by stop- 
ping over at Indianapolis for the night, in both going 
and returning. The trip was every way pleasant, and 
the associations there very agreeable. I hoped it would 
be a benefit to me in the way of recreation, but on 
reaching home I was taken down with typho-malarial 
fever. I was quite low for several weeks. I got up 
with a trouble in my throat, causing a constant cough- 
ing and hacking, which has increased without inter- 
mission to the present time. 

In September, realizing that my health was perma- 
nently broken down, we went back to our country 
home. I was satisfied that if I should even continue to 
edit the Guide, I would not be able to assume the re- 
sponsibilities of the office, and that the best place for 
me, under the circumstances, was my country home. 
After going back to the country I rallied considerably, 
and attended the General Convention, at Lexington, 
about the 20th of October. Here I took life mem- 
berships in both the General and Foreign Societies for 
the Mt. Byrd Church. This was the first church taking 
membership in those societies, so far as I am informed. 
It has since become quite common. Last year (1884) 
I succeeded in getting their constitutions so amended 
as to provide for this. 

I took cold at the convention, and relapsed. My 
physicians were very fearful of tubercular trouble, and 
advised me to go to Florida for the winter. We went 
the first of December, not knowing whither we went, 
but it seems that the hand of Providence guided us. 
We knew not where to turn, but concluded to try De 



112 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

Land, where we had some acquaintances, and there 
look out for accommodations. In a few days after 
reaching De Land old Bro. Anderson, who lived two 
miles in the country, heard we were there and came in 
for us. He had formerly seen a copy of the Guide and 
subscribed for it This good man rented for us a con- 
venient house near him, paid the rent, set us up, and 
would not allow me to pay for anything we needed 
while there if he knew it and could prevent it. His 
wife was as kind as he, and did all in her power to make 
our stay in "The Land of Flowers" comfortable and 
inexpensive. 

The Great Teacher has said, in a well-known passage, 
''It is more blessed to give than to receive." What, 
then, must not have been the blessedness of this pious 
couple in thus caring for a poor broken-down invalid 
and his family, whom Providence had guided to their 
hospitable home? May God reward them richly for 
their kindness. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Organizes a Church at DeLand. — Health Improves. — Relapses. — Starts 
Home. — Resignation. — Sells His Interest in the Guide. — Begins 
Writing again. — Attends Two Conventions. — Goes to Texas.— At 
Home Again. — Works On. 

While at DeLand we gathered up the few scattered 
Disciples in and around the town, and organized them 
into a church. I felt quite confident, from the charac- 
ter of the material, that the enterprise would be a suc- 
cess. It has thus far proved to be so ; they have not 
failed to keep up their weekly meetings to break the 
loaf and edify one another after the apostolic model. 
They now have a nice house, and have employed a 
preacher and given him a home among them. This is 
just what all churches should aim to do ; all may not be 
able, but they should aim to accomphsh it. The 
church is in a prosperous condition. I was able to talk 
to them occasionally while there. 

The climate of Florida agreed with me. My cough 
left me in a few weeks, my appetite became good, 
and I got heavier than I ever was before. I went 
there weighing 130 pounds, and increased to 148. In 
good health, my usual weight was 144 pounds, and 
it had been many years since I weighed that. I should 
have come home in this improved condition but for my 
own imprudence. I don't blame the country. Provi- 
dence, nor anything else but myself. I was passion- 
ately fond of hunting, as I have ever been. I hunted 

"3 



114 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

a great deal, and frequently got overheated, and took 
cold ; sometimes got my feet wet when in the woods. 
Thus I had several backsets. But still I was in that 
condition when the time came to return home. The 
day before we were to start, I concluded I must have 
one more hunt. It had rained the night before ; the 
saad was damp ; it was cloudy, quite warm, and a 
strong south wind was blowing. I would get warm in 
walking (the sand there is very slavish to walk in), and 
would sit down and let the wind cool me off I should 
have had more discretion ; but sometimes people act 
with very little sense about such things. Before I 
reached the house I felt acute inflammation of the 
mucus membrane, to the bottom of my lungs. In 
three hours fever set in, and I was completely pros- 
trated. I remained there about three weeks, and the 
doctors urged my return as the only chance of recov- 
ery. They considered that very hazardous, on account 
of exposure to cold ; but to stay there was less hope- 
ful. I was taken to the boat, carried on board by two 
men, then carried off at Jacksonville to a hack, taken to 
a hotel, thence to the train. I secured a good berth in 
a sleeper, and got through without the least trouble. 
I improved, every mile of the way ; but as soon as I 
got home I went down again, and was extremely low 
for some time. 

My dread of dying in Florida and having my wife 
return with my body, was such that I concentrated all 
my prayers to that one point. I prayed the Lord to 
enable me to get home, that I might die in the midst 
of my family. I felt and prayed that if He would en- 
able me to reach home, He could have the rest all His 
own way, without any further petition. He enabled 



FRANK G ALLEN. II5 

me to rally, gave a week of the best weather of the 
whole season, brought me home under the most favor- 
able circumstances, and I never afterwards felt free to 
ask Him to restore me to health, and have never done it. 
It may be wrong, but I promised to let Him have the 
rest all His own way, and my prayers have ever since 
conformed to that idea, 

I never could have believed, till I experienced it, 
that one could become so indifferent as to whether he 
lived or died. I saw many days, after my return from 
Florida, when it was a matter of perfect indifference 
to me ; previous anxiety to get home, and the 
resolution to leave all the rest to the Lord, had no 
doubt much to do with it. I observed this, however: 
that as hope revived, a desire to live would arise in 
proportion. When there was little or no prospect, 
there was little or no concern. 

When I was at my worst, I decided, taking my 
past and present condition into consideration, the medi- 
cine I was taking, the attention received, etc. , that if 
1 did not take a turn for the better by a certain day, 
then in three days the case would be entirely hopeless. 
In the afternoon of that day the change came. That 
evening I took some nourishment — the first for four- 
teen days. 

After I sufficiently recovered to be able to do any- 
thing, I was anxious to get my business arranged, with 
a view to death. I never expected to be able to write 
another editorial, and I was concerned about making 
some arrangement by which to get rid of the Guide and 
its responsibility. I was not pleased with its business 
management, and did not want to leave it as the 
property of my family, not knowing what trouble it 



I I 6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

might give nor what expense it might involve them in. 
And without a change in management, I knew it could 
never be of any profit. I wrote for Bro. Srygley to 
come, and I sold him my remaining half-interest. My 
purpose was to resign, and thus, have no further con- 
nection with it. But he would not buy unless I would 
agree to let my name remain, with a promise to re- 
sume the responsibility of chief editor if I should ever 
get able ; and the firm would consent to the sale only 
upon these conditions. So I had to sell upon those 
conditions, or not sell at all. 

The latter part of September the company urged 
me to begin to write again, if it were at all possible, 
even if it were only a few paragraphs each week. They 
said the impression everywhere entertained that I would 
not recover, was injuring the paper very much. The 
people were losing interest in it. They insisted that I 
should counteract that feeling as much as possible. 
Under this pressure, though confined to my bed and 
suffering every hour, I began writing, the first of 
October, and never after missed a week. That winter I 
stayed at home, and was not out of my room for eight 
months. The last of August I started to Midway, to see 
Dr. Lucy. I got as far as Louisville, and could get no 
further. We dispatched for the Doctor, and he came 
down. After resting a few days I got home, the last of 
August, and I was not out of the door again till the last 
of April. During that winter I did a large amount 
of writing, besides my weekly work on the Guide. 

June 10 I went to Louisville to attend the In- 
ternational Sunday-school Convention, but was able 
to get out only a few times. I attended the State meet- 
ing at Paris, but was able to take no part. I greatly 



FRANK G. ALLEN. II7 

enjoyed meeting with the brethren, and hearing them 
concerning the things of the kingdom of God. These 
convocations are seasons of refreshing from the j^res- 
ence of the Lord. 

The first of October we went to Mason, in South- 
west Texas, to spend the winter. Here, as at De 
Land, it looked as if the hand of Providence guided 
us. We knew no one there, but we found some of 
the dearest and best friends of our lives. They had been 
taking the Guide, and, in competition with several other 
places that wanted us, made such a liberal offer that 
our trip cost us nothing. They seemed to anticipate 
all our wants, and find great pleasure in supplying 
them. The Lord has always blessed me with many 
good friends — more than I deserved. I have felt, for a 
number of years, that I was greatly overestimated, 
and it has been a source of no little humiliation. I 
should have quit editorial work several years ago, and 
lived in obscurity here at my retired home, if I could 
have done so. I appreciate the good opinion of my 
brethren, to the extent that I think it is merited ; but 
to realize that I am not what I am thought by some 
to be, is a great mortification. 

I am now at home enjoying the company of my 
family, the quiet of my home, with every want antici- 
pated and supplied by a devoted wife and children, 
pleasantly, though in much feebleness, doing my work 
on the Guide, and putting in my spare time in other 
writing. I find my greatest pleasure in being' about my 
Father's business. I must be employed. I expect to 
thus work on till the Master says, ''It is enough." 

Mt. Byrd, Ky., June 13, 1885. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Reflections on his Fiftieth Birthday, — What a Wonderful Being is 
Man ! — Governed, not by Instinct, but by Reason. — Man Lives by 
Deeds, not Years. — How to Grow Old. — Half of Life Spent in 
Satan's Service. — Renewed Consecration. — I^ast Three Birthdays. — 
His Trust in God. 

The seventh day of March has come again. Fifty 
times has come this anniversary of my natal day I 
Half a hundred years old to-day ! What a period 
through which to carry the burdens and responsibilities 
of life ! (What a time for which to give account to God 
for wasted moments and opportunities lost !) What a 
period to be devoted to building a character for the skies ! 
What a period of time devoted to the issues of eternity 1 

What a wonderful being is man ! Time is but his 
cradle, from which he walks forth into a world where life- 
is parallel with the ages of God. An intelligent, ex- 
pansive being that will never cease to be — what a 
thought! When the sun grows gray with age, his eye 
is dimmed, and darkness reigns, man will still be drink- 
ing in the light of heaven from the morning star of 
eternity. The century-living crow doubles this period 
of man's probation, with life as it began. She builds 
her nest the last year, as she did the first, with no im- 
provement sought. She rears her young the hundredth 
time as she did the first, by the long experience none 
the wiser. This is her nature. God made her thus. 
Instinct is wonderful, but it never improves. It grows 

ii8 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I I9 

not wiser with age nor the ages. It nothing from ex- 
perience learns. The sparrow builds her nest, and the 
beaver his dam, just as they did in the years before the 
flood. The little quails an hour from the shell, will 
hide at the danger-signal of the mother bird, when they 
never saw a hawk, nor heard of one's existence. How 
different this from man ! More helpless than the stupid 
beast, and more senseless than the creeping worm, he 
starts to make the pilgrimage of life. But what a change 
does time produce ! The child more helpless than the 
humming insect of an hour, becom.es the monarch of 
the world. He bridles the lightning in its home above 
the mountain peaks, and makes it do his bidding. The 
terror of the ages past, becomes his willing servant. 
He harnesses the steam, that for ages spent its power in 
the open air, and with it moves the world. He sends 
his whisperings through old ocean's bed, where the 
great leviathan sports, as if he talked to one across the 
room. He leaps aloft as if on steady wing, till his look 
is downward where the lightnings play and the thunder- 
bolt leaps to its deadly mission. Wonderful develop- 
ment ! The heavens declare the glory of God, and the 
earth proclaims the dominion of man. He was made a 
little lower than the angels, and crowned with majesty. 
Age counts with man, and years bring knowledge, but 
not unfailing wisdom. Did man grow wise with age, as 
a sure result, age should be an unfailing blessing sought. 
But imbecility it often brings and childish discontent. 
These are the blighted sheaves of evil sowing in the 
spring and summer days of life. With right ideas of 
life, men grow wiser and better, as they older grow in 
the service of their God. Life is not measured simply 
by the flight of time. Men live more now than they 



120 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

did before the flood. Intenser now is life. Into a few 
decades, is now crowded the patriarch's experience of 
nearly a thousand years. How to grow old, is a problem 
not to be despised, It should not be left to solve itself. 
To grow old gracefully, is to make a picture on which 
the world delights to look. But, alas ! how sadly 
blurred is the picture by many made ! It is sad to see 
one's religion sour with age. While young and strong 
the loved disciple on the bosom of the Master leaned. 
Then when age had dimmed his eagle eye, and time 
had stolen his elastic step, he had the same love for his 
children in the faith. His was a sweet old age, the 
outgrowth of a life of faith and love. He grew old 
gracefully. When brought, as was his wont, and be- 
fore his congregation set, his last sermons were mainly 
the touching, tender words, * ' My little children, love 
one another." O, that his mantle could on many of 
us fall ! But oft, alas ! we see grow cross, self-willed 
and sour the shepherd of the flock. This, too, when 
age should give his words both weight and wisdom. 
Lord, give me poverty and affliction, if it be thy will, 
but save me, I pray, from this sad end. Far better 
that one die young, than grow old against the grain. 
''Is life worth living?" the sages ask. That depends 
on how one lives it. Lived aright, it is worth living, 
and many such worlds as this beside. Otherwise 't is 
not. Of right living, the more the better ; of wrong, 
the less. The life lived faithfully to God, can never be 
too long ; its opposite, too short. 

Of the half-century, this day gone, one claim I can 
safely make — it was not spent in idleness. The years 
to Satan's service given, were well to his account put 
in ; and those devoted to a better cause, I have tried to 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 121 

give as faithfully to Him to whom they all belonged. 
For the years in Satan's service spent, like Saul of Tar- 
sus, I conscientious ignorance plead. O'er eyes un- 
used to heaven's light, sectarianism's vail was thick. 
But no sooner was known the way of life, than in its 
path I tried to walk ; and in it have I tried to keep, till 
this good day. Thus equally divided has the time been 
spent. Except the years of childish innocence, twenty- 
five were in the service spent of him who for this life 
pays the soul in spurious coin, and leaves it bankrupt 
in the life beyond ; while an equal number, praise the 
Lord, have a better Master claimed. For the rest of 
life, be it long or short, the long side will the right side 
be, while hitherto it otherwise has been. The periods 
of service have not before been equally divided, nor 
will they be again. But the sides have changed pro- 
portions, praise the Lord ! Should not this turning- 
point in life an epoch make ? A half century, and a 
half divided life, in one ! Surely I shall not look upon 
its like again. 

The past few birthdays I have noted as those of 
former years were noted not, and for reasons I need 
hardly state. The first that deep impression on the 
mind did make since apprehension was that each would 
be the last, was three years ago, amid the orange 
groves of the sunny South. The day was lovely as 
the Queen of May ; and friends more lovely than the 
day, made it a time not to be forgotten. The feasting 
of the outer man was the lesser part of the day's en- 
joyment. '* The feast of reason and the flow of soul" 
was chief Three of us were seeking health in that 
sunny land. Two have found it, but not there. In a 
fairer land by far than this world can boast, did they 



122 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

find the fountain of perpetual health. Beneath the 
branches of the tree of life, have they also sat and 
plucked its leaves for the healing of the nations given. 
I, the feeblest of the three, and thought the nearest 
to the other side to be, on the shores of time am 
struggling still. Thus it is with man's poor guessing. 

Two years ago the day was cold and bleak. It 
drizzled through the dreary hours, freezing as it fell. 
But to many loving hearts, its sleet and rain were not 
its gloom. On this day was laid to rest in Mother 
Earth the loved remains of one numbered in the health- 
seeking trio of the year before. What a contrast with 
that day one year before ! The day and its events, how 
sadly changed ! But such is life. Well do I remem- 
ber on this asking, * ' Shall I another birthday live to 
see ?" And well do I remember, too, the thought ex- 
pressed in grave response. While, in the providence 
of God, it was possible, of course, the other way were 
all the probabihties. But this so oft before the case 
had been, it left a ray of hope. And that has now 
been more than realized. As said our sweetest poet, 
how truly can we say : 

"God moves in a mysterious way 
His wonders to perform." 

One year ago, in the balmy breezes of the '* Lone 
Star " State, compelled was I by feebleness of frame to 
miss the sumptuous feast by loving hands so deftly 
spread. And sad, yet happy thought, those as ever 
ready on the poor to wait, are now in those of the 
Master clasped. And still I hnger, and the years go 
by. Such is life. Deep and many are her mysteries. 
God knows it all, but he keeps it to himself But 
what are now the prospects for the year to come ? 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 23. 

Better now, by far, than they before have been in all 
these dreary years of pain. Would it not be strange, 
if once again in providence divine I should mingle 
with my fellow men, and tell them, as of yore, the 
story of the cross ? Indeed, it would ; but stranger 
things have happened. Stranger things by providence 
divine have come to pass without the aid of " Warner's 
Safe Cure," or other disgusting humbuggery, with its 
offensive intrusion into the reading of decent men. 
The providence of God is not dependent on patent 
nostrums ; nor is He limited in His healing power to 
calomel or blue mass. Prayer is oft more potent 
than all the noxious drugs of man's device. God has 
promised, when consistent with His holy will, the 
prayers of His believing children to hear and bless. 
And in numbers more by far than this poor life is 
worth, have these from earnest, pleading souls gone 
up to God. Hence to-day we rest in the cheering 
hope that these have not been in vain. 

Should it please the Lord to give the health I need 
to fight again the battles of Christian life, what respon- 
sibilities will it bring ! That strength must all be 
counted His who gave it. All those years must be 
wholly His, His cause to serve. The interests of His 
kingdom to His children left, must be strictly guarded. 
Conflicts with men, even those we love, will come to 
him who strictly guards the faith, as Jude directs. In 
all conflicts with fellow men, for two good graces I 
humbly pray — the courage of Paul and the gentleness 
of John. 

This holy Lord's day morning, the sun rose bright 
and charming as on the seventh day of March it did 
three years ago in the sunny land of Florida. For the 



124 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

first time in many weary months did I a whiff of the 
outside air inhale. Oh! how delicious ! 'Twas Hke a 
prisoner's whiff of the air of freedom. But this was 
not the best. To sit again with the brethren around 
the table of the Lord and hear again the sweet old 
story that is forever new, what a feast to the hungry 
soul ! Then the birthday feast is next to be enjoyed. 
Loved ones gathered at the dear old ''cottage home" 
to celebrate the marked event with music, song and 
recitation. 

The birthday cakes and other " dainty tricks " by 
loving hands prepared and sent to grace the festive 
board, told tales of love. One thing alone marred the 
pleasure of the day and checked the overflow of its cup 
of bliss : Two loved and loving ones were far away and 
disappointed in their hope of being here. These would 
have made the ring complete, the family circle whole. 
But such, again, is life. Its disappointments will for- 
ever come. We should expect them, therefore, and 
be content. 

This is my fiftieth milestone along life's rugged road. 
At- this half-century mark I set up a pillar, as did Jacob 
of old. 

*' Here I '11 raise my Ebenezer, 

Hither by Thy help I 've come, 
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, 
Safely to arrive at home." 

Thus far in Hfe has a loving Father led me, and in 
his providential care I trust for all the rest. I place my 
trusting hand in His, asking to be led as He sees the 
way. ''Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah," shall be 
my constant prayer. And thus, dear Father, the rest 
of life I leave with thee. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 25 

Dear Lord, should birthdays more be mine 

To spend on earth to Thee, 
Thy cause shall claim them wholly Thine 

As earnest work can be. 

And should 'st Thou will the next be one 

In Thy bright home above, 
I gladly say, "Thy will be done," 
And join Thee in Thy love. 
Cottage Home, March 7, 1886. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Conclusron by the Editor. — Tokens of Love from Many. — Keeps 
Writing. — Controversy with the Standard. — Last Meeting with 
His Mother. — Visited by Professors McGarvey and Graham. — 
Commits His Writings to the Latter. — Visits Eminence and Lex- 
ington. — Many Brethren Come to See Him. — Meeting at Mt. 
Byrd. — Estimate of His Character. — The Closing Scenes. — Fare- 
well to His Family. — Dies. — Funeral Services. 

The foregoing autobiography closes with June 
13, 1885, while the life of the author was prolonged 
till January 6, 1887, and it remains for the editor to 
record a few of the incidents transpiring in the interval ; 
and to bring this remarkable recital to a close. 

Midsummer found Bro. Allen in his "Cottage 

Home," at Mt. Byrd, growing weaker in body day 

by day, but with no very acute suffering. Everything 

that devoted love on the part of his family and church 

could suggest for his comfort was done ; and there were 

not wanting from abroad many tokens of undying 

affection, as it became generally known that he was 

gradually but surely passing away. Many of his 

friends, and especially preachers, came to Mt. Byrd as 

to a Mecca, to find their pilgrimage repaid in the fresh 

inspiration received by communing with this saintly 

man. The company of his brethren did not weary 

him ; on the contrary, it seemed to have a favorable 

effect on both his body and mind ; he greatly desired 

the visits of his friends, and found comfort in them. 

Still many were deterred from going to see him for fear 
126 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 12/ 

it might disturb the quiet which they hoped would 
contribute to lengthen out his days. Meanwhile he 
kept writing with a diligence and persistence marvelous 
to those who witnessed it, and incredible to others ; so 
much so, that many at a distance could not understand 
how one so near the grave could continue to write so 
much and so well ; hence the hope entertained that 
he might survive for years to bless the church and the 
world. It must be remembered that his disease never 
affected his mind, and that, like most persons who die 
of consumption, he retained the full possession of his 
mental faculties even unto the end. Besides, he was 
sustained by an indomitable will that hesitated at noth- 
ing that stood in the way of duty ; added to which was 
an unfaltering trust in God and a joyous resignation to 
His will, causing him to cease praying for longer Hfe. 
Propped up in an invalid chair with a convenience of 
his own invention, he continued his weekly editorials 
to the Guide as regularly as ever, and developed abili- 
ties as an editor that none suspected he possessed till 
the last years of his life. 

It was at this time that the unfortunate controversy 
began between the Guide and the Standard about our 
work in London, England, causing so much regret on 
the part of many friends of both papers. It was feared 
by some that this controversy would work irreparable 
injury to our mission enterprises, not only in England, 
but in other lands, for we all realized that Titans were 
engaged in the conflict ; men, not like those of old, 
giants in physical strength and daring, but of intellec- 
tual power intensified by the love of God and his 
cause. Of course the disputants viewed the matter 
from different angles, and both, we must think, were 



128 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

equally sincere in their convictions. The present writer 
was not of those who thought upon the whole harm 
would come of this dispute, though he deeply regretted 
the asperity with which it was conducted. In our 
present imperfect state we need, 1 doubt not, these 
conflicts to remind us of our frailty, and if only we 
have grace to profit by them, God will turn them to 
our good and to His own glory. It is a source of 
devout thankfulness to those who knew Bro. Allen's 
unselfish purpose, that many who censured his course 
united with multitudes who approved it in paying 
honor to his memory, when the messenger who ends 
all earthly strifes called him to his final account. 

In July, 1885, his aged and revered mother made 
him a visit, and remained some time; it was their last 
meeting ; and now that her gifted son has gone to his 
reward, she waits in joyous hope for the day that shall 
reunite them forever. 

A few weeks later it was the pleasure of the writer, 
in company with Prof. McGarvey, to spend two days 
at Mt. Byrd, in delightful fellowship with this grand 
man. He had been apprised of our coming, and was 
prepared for it. Truly, to him and to us it was a 
foretaste of the joys of the future world, and we left 
him the same resolute, confiding servant of Christ he 
had ever been, wholly resigned to the will of God and 
rejoicing in assured hope of eternal rest. 

It pleased his Master to protract his life and useful- 
ness a little longer, and so 1885 closed, and we find 
him still with his family, receiving many tokens of love 
from them and from brethren far away. Spring comes, 
and birds and flowers ; the bright sunshine beams into 
his chamber, and now and then he is barely able to 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I2g 

walk out to see and feel his Father's goodness bathing 
all things in quiet beauty. He repines not, knowing 
that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment,, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
of glory." 

He continues to write, and with the rest the pre- 
ceding chapter of "Reflections on his Fiftieth Birth- 
day." He commits it, his diary, and other writings to 
me, with the request that I do with them as I think best, 
for now he is sure that this unequal contest with mor- 
tality can not last much longer. 

Summer comes, and with it increasing weakness, 
but no diminution of his trust in God. He wishes to 
visit Eminence once more, and to see his two younger 
daughters graduate from the college that had helped 
himself in former years. He attends, and then, unable 
to walk without help, he comes on to Lexington, to 
spend commencement week among his friends and 
brethren ; this done, he returns to his beloved Mt. 
Byrd, to leave it no more till he goes to stand with the 
redeemed on the Mount of God. 

During the fall of this year hardly a week passed 
that several of his relatives and Christian brethren were 
not found at his home ; and did not the limit of this 
chapter forbid, we would like to record their names, 
for in love they came to testify their admiration for 
him and their sympathy with his sorrowing family. 
For one and all he had a word of cheer, and none 
came away without being deeply impressed with the 
conviction that he had been with one of the purest and 
best of men — one who lived in daily communion with 
his Maker. His one theme of conversation was religion, 
and if we may judge from his increasing delight in it, 



130 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

to no one was death a more gentle transition from faith 
to sight. Narrow, indeed, to him was the bourn that 
divides the seen from the unseen, the temporal from 
the eternal, and the labors of earth from the felicities 
of heaven. He daily lived upon the boundary of two 
worlds. 

In October, Bro. J. K. P. South held a meeting 
with the Mt. Byrd church, and, though feeble beyond 
measure, Bro. Allen made out to attend a few times, 
and even to take part in prayer and exhortation, sitting 
in his chair. Only twice after this was he able to be 
carried to the Lord's house, but on neither occasion 
could he take an active part in the worship. 

In all the relations of life Bro. Allen was a model 
of all that is lovable in human character — kind, gentle, 
considerate of the feelings of others, even the least, 
and always cheerful. A refined and delicate humor 
pervaded his conversation, which was always chaste 
and instructive. There was in him a moderation that 
always attends reserved power, and a candor that was 
transparent ; these qualities, united with an equipoise of 
intellectual and moral strength, harmony of emotions, 
and hatred of everything mean or unfair, made him 
revered by his friends, and an idol in his houshold. 
Wife, children, servants, all who came into that 
charmed circle, were attached to him in a love that 
bordered on idolatry. To draw a portraiture of this 
remarkable man would indeed be a pleasing task did 
space allow — his logical penetration, depth of feeling, 
strength of will, energy, industry, unwavering faith in 
God and goodness, and, crowning all, his fidelity to the 
gospel of Christ — but it is unnecessary. To us who 
knew him these virtues were conspicuous ; by others. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I3I 

they may be gathered from the unvarnished story of 
his Hfe as it is told in the foregoing pages. We must 
hasten to the closing scene. 

On New Year's day, 1887, he laid down his pen to 
resume it again no more. He was forced to this by 
sheer exhaustion ; his body was wasted to a skeleton, 
and it was clear to all that the end was near. Having 
suffered much for several days, but without a murmur, 
on the evening of Jan. 5 he requested all his family to 
come to his bedside, and while their hearts were break- 
ing for grief and all eyes were blinded with tears, he 
spoke to them for the last time. 

"My dear children," said he, "I want to say a few 
things to you while I can. I may not be able 
to do it if I put it off longer. I will soon leave 
you, and I know you will miss me. It is hard for you 
to giv^e me up, but it is the will of God, and you must 
bear up as best you can. I am sure I have always 
had your love, and you have always obeyed me ; and 
now I want you to always love and obey your mother. 
Remember, wherever you may be, that you are all of 
one household. Live in peace, and let no strife or dis- 
cord spring up among you." Taking the hand 
of each of his daughters, he asked them to meet him 
in heaven, and then kissed them good-bye. 

Laying his hand upon Frank's head, he said, " My 
dear son, papa has to leave you." "O papa," said 
the lad, " pray not to die." *' We have prayed, my 
dear boy, but it is God's will to take me home, and 
He knows best. You must love your mamma and 
obey her; be good to your sisters. I want you to grow 
up and become a minister of the gospel. Try to make a 



132 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

better preacher than your papa has been. Be studious 
and industrious, and live so that you may at last meet 
me in heaven. May God bless you, my son, and keep 
you in His care. Kiss me good-bye." 

Throwing one arm around his wife, he said, "My 
dear, my affliction has been a blessing to me in having 
you near me all the time. You have been everything 
on earth that a good wife could be. I have loved you 
'even more in my affliction than I ever did before. I 
want to thank you for all your kindness to me and loving 
care of me. If I have ever done or said anything I 
should not, I want you to forgive me now. I can say 
on my dying bed that I have always been a true hus- 
band to you. I have made the best provision I could 
for you and the children, and if there should appear any 
mistakes they have not been of my heart." He then 
bade her a long and last farewell. 

He then blessed his three little grandchildren and 
kissed them; expressed a desire to see his "dear old 
mother," brother and sisters once more, and spoke of 
some business matters a moment, then said, "This is 
too sacred for that." 

For two or three days before this he had been able 
to speak only a few words at a time ; but throughout 
this interview with his family, his voice was as strong 
and clear as it had ever been. After this his breathing 
became difficult, and he could gasp only a single Avord 
now and then. He seemed to have no wish to be oc- 
cupied with this world. The weary traveler had at last 
reached the goal ; and about nine o'clock Thursday 
night, January 6, 1887, his pure spirit left its frail tene- 
ment to suffer no more. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 33 

The following account of his funeral, written by his 
devoted friend and Christian brother, W. K. Azbill, 
may well close the biography of Frank Gibbs Allen : 

''IT IS FINISHED." 

It is finished. The struggle with his fatal malady is over at last, 
and F. G. Allen is at rest. He sank into a quiet sleep last Thursday 
night, Jan. 6, 1887. 

A few friends were notified of the end by telegrams, and that the 
burial would take place from Mt. Byrd Church on Sunday, but the 
condition of the Ohio River rendered it extremely difficult to reach 
" Cottage Home." However, in spite of the difficulties and dangers in 
crossing the river, and the extreme cold weather, there were seven 
ministers and a very large audience present at the burial. The people 
came over the snow and through the snow, in sleighs and sleds and 
buggies, afoot and on horseback, till the large country audience-room 
was well filled. The presence of such an assembly on such a day 
evinced the truth of what is now widely known, that Frank Allen was 
loved best where he has lived and labored for the past sixteen years. 

The services were begun by Bro. A. W. Kokendoffer, who lead in 
an invocation of divine blessing and strength and guidance. The con- 
gregation than sang "Nearer, My God, to Thee." The writer read the 
following Scriptures; John xiv. 1-4, 27, 28; I. Cor. xv. 51-58; I. 
Thess. iv. 13-18; II. Sam. iii. 31-39, repeating 38. 

He felt that he should not, because he could not speak on the oc- 
casion. He had followed the inclinations of his own grief, and had 
come as a mourner and not as a comforter. We had not met to tell how 
much we esteemed our departed brother, or how much we loved him, 
or how much we should miss him, now that he has gone. The gap is 
a wide one he has left in the family, in the congregation of 
his love, and in the larger church; and it will seem wider and wider 
as the days go by. We had come as his brothers and sisters — as those 
who loved him — to lay him away in the grave, and to ask God's help 
and blessing in this time of loss and sorrow. He then led in worship, 
thanking God for His gift to the church of the precious life that had 
just been surrendered at His call; praising God for His love of brave 
and true men like him ; expressing the loving confidence of all that the 
heavenly Father would deal tenderly with our widowed sister and her 
children ; asking especially that the little boy might live to honor the 
name of his beloved father, and praying that the dear church, that has 



134 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

borne him on theif hearts through all this anxious time of weakness 
and suffering, might forever be blessed by the memory of his godly life 
in it. 

The song, " Asleep in Jesus," was then sung, after which President 
R. Graham, of the College of the Bible, addressed the audience on the 
life and character of the deceased. 

He had thought of how truly it might be said of him, that "There 
is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel." He had felt in- 
clined to derive comfort for the church, and to those to whom he was 
doubly dear, from the passage in the Apocalypse, "I heard a voice 
from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in 
the Lord from henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
their labors: and their works do follow them." He did not know 
whether others would be present to take part in the services. But Bro. 
Kurfees was here from the churches in Louisville, and, as a representa- 
tive of the Guide, Bro. McDiarmid, from Cincinnati, to represent his 
associates in our other publishing interests, and Bro. Azbill, from In- 
dianapolis, connected with our missionary interests, while he himself 
brought the sympathies of those in the College of the Bible. He felt 
there was a suitableness in all this, for all these things were dear to the 
heart of our brother. 

He then proceeded to give a sketch of his life and career. There 
were several distinct periods in his history. The first was from his 
birth, March 7, 1836, to his marriage in, 1856, a period of about 
twenty years. Here he spoke of his early struggles for an education, 
and of the signs of a useful life manifested even then. The second, 
from the time of his marriage till his entry upon general evangelistic 
work, about 1866. During this decade he became a Christian, resolved 
to preach the gospel, and entered and passed through a course of col- 
legiate studies in Eminence College. The third period began with his 
evangelistic labors. During this time he became a pastor of the Mt. 
Byrd church. During this period most of his public discussions were 
held. It was through these labors that he was revealed to his breth- 
ren as a man who was greater than we knew. 

The last period began with his editorial career, and closed with 
his death. He became first a contributing editor of The Apostolic 
Ti?nes, and afterwards co-editor. Then he became the proprietor and 
editor of The Old-Path Guide, which, in the course of events, was con- 
solidated with the Times, and became The Apostolic Guide. 

President Graham then spoke of his character and his character- 
istic abilities. He was a sincere man, he was a conscientious man, he 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 135 

was a brave, true man ; he was a pure-minded man, he was a godly 
man. 

His ability was not that of the great scholar, but of the lo- 
gician of keen, accurate perceptions. He was not an encyclopedia, 
but a compact volume of naked logic. He was capable of the very 
nicest discriminations ; and he had the faculty of pointing out a fallacy 
with marvelous clearness, and of turning an objection to his position 
into an argument in its favor. 

He was sometimes misunderstood ; but he was always true to his 
convictions, and there was no honorable thing he would not do for the 
truth's sake. He believed in the gospel as the power of God unto 
salvation ; and he made no compromises with doctrines in conflict with 
his conviction that the gospel must be believed and obeyed by those 
who would be saved. 

The speaker said many tender and fatherly things to the bereaved 
family and to the church, one of which was that we who knew of our 
brother's sufferings, could have had but the one motive of selfishness 
for detaining him an hour longer than he lingered with us. 

Bro. M. C. Kurfees followed the remarks of President Graham 
with some comforting reflections on Bro. Allen's views of death and of 
the future life. He spoke of his willingness " to depart and to be with 
Christ, which is far better." Heaven is not a far off" place, but an ac- 
tual spiritual presence with God. He spoke of the blessedness of being 
always ready for this change from our life in the body to our life with 
God in the invisible world. 

Bro. McDiarmid closed the services with suitable remarks and an 
earnest prayer. After the singing of the song, " Jesus, Lover of my 
Soul," came the final leave-taking, and the departure from the church 
to the grave. Not the least touching of these scenes was the breaking 
down in grief of the sturdy yeomen of the congregation as they stood 
around the bier of their dear brother and former pastor, and looked on 
that manly face and form for the last time. 

Finally we laid him to rest in the burying-place near by. At the 
grave the closing prayer was offered by Bro. Wm. Buchanan, who re- 
ferred tenderly to his aged mother and absent relatives. And thus the 
final scenes closed. 

His resting-place is a lovely spot, overlooking the city of Madison, 
commanding an extended view of the river valley, and in sight of the 
stream and of all the vessels that go by. It is near to his " Cottage 
Home " and to the church he so much loved ; and the spot will be all 
the dearer now that he sleeps in it. 



136 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

Only four days ago the writer said in a letter to the family : *' I 
linger on the eve of taking a long voyage, and he may soon go on a 
very short one ; but which of these shall be made the occasion of say- 
ing 'good-bye,' I hardly know." Even then the solitary voyager was 
on his way. The breakers dashed about him as he launched ; the 
great billows roared beneath and around him as he went out ; the 
waves broke over each other in ripples as he passed on ; and the ripples 
hushed into whispers as he neared the other shore. At last he took 
the adorable divine Guide by the hand, and passed beyond our view. 



PART IL— ADDRESSES. 



L_CULTURE AND CHRISTIANITY: 

THEIR RELATION AND NECESSITY. 
[An Address Delivered Before Eminence College, June 8, 1877.] 

There are periods in our history which form the 
oases in the desert of Hfe. In one of these our spirits 
are to-day refreshed. Its dark shade and cooHng foun- 
tain strengthen us for the onward pilgrimage. From 
its green sward we pluck bright flowers, whose fragrance 
will linger with us till the end of life's journey. From 
these let us to-day weave fresh garlands, which shall 
ever exhale the sweetness of these associations. 

This is ever a proud day for Eminence College. 
Annually on these festive occasions do the hearts of 
the many thousands who have gone out from these 
classic halls turn to them again with longing. Memory, 
unfettered by space, walks again amid these lovely 
bowers and responds unconsciously to the greetings of 
other days. Though separated far, and mingling in the 
busy scenes of life, how their souls revel in these de- 
lights ! These college associations are the golden links 
which bind many hearts in an unbroken chain. The 

chords so exquisitely touched in our hearts to-day will 

137 



138 ADDRESSES OF 

vibrate for an age. Ere these sweet strains die away on 
the distant air they will be caught up by responsive 
hearts and reechoed round the earth. These are times 
in our college hfe that must ever be linked with the 
future. Memory will ever delight to lift the heavy cur- 
tain of material life, and behold again these visions of 
beauty, and paint in fancy these rose tints of youth. 
Then let this day be one whose brightness shall shed a 
ray of celestial light along the path of life. Let our 
spirits bathe in the fountain of living waters, while the 
chords of our hearts are swept with entrancing melodies. 

"Then th' inexpressive strain 
Diffuses its enchantment. Fancy dreams 
Of sacred fountains and Elysian groves, 
And vales of bliss ; the intellectual power 
Bends from his awful throne a wandering ear, 
And smiles." 

As a theme worthy of your consideration to-day, I 
have selected 

' * Culture and Christianity : Their Relation and Necessity. " 

The Greek word for man, avd^ponoz, signifies etymo- 
logically to look upward. Man is the only terrestrial 
being capable of looking inward and upward. In this 
there lies between him and the animal creation an im- 
passable gulf. Man alone can look into his inner na- 
ture, and thereby make his very failures the stepping- 
stones to a higher life. God designed that man's 
progress should be upward ; hence his high destiny is 
attained, not by creation, but by development. The 
ladder at whose foot he begins his immortal career rests 
upon the eternal throne. This is not a development 
into man, but a development of man. The theory of 
development into man is of the flesh ; but the develop- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 39 

ment of man is of the spirit. Since man is destined 
for eternity, it is not befitting that he should attain 
perfection in time. Hence he does not develop as the 
beast of the field, or the fowl of the air. They soon 
learn all that they ever know. They soon enjoy all 
they are capable of enjoying. They soon attain to the 
perfection of their being, and fulfill the end of their 
creation. The swallow builds her nest and the beaver 
his dam precisely as they did in the days before the 
flood. Nor can it ever be otherwise. But it is not so 
with man. This life is too short and this world too 
small for his development. He but begins to live in 
this world. This life is simply a state of probation. 
Our faculties but begin to unfold on the things of time 
when we are called hence. This unfolding of our fac- 
ulties, this development of our inner self, is the result 
of culture — a culture not of the flesh, but of the spirit ; 
not of the outer, but of the inner man. 

Culture and Christianity, properly considered, are 
inseparable. He who relies on culture apart from Chris- 
tianity misconceives the end of his being. He appre- 
ciates not his high destiny. Animals have minds sus- 
ceptible of a high degree of cultivation, but not of a 
culture which reaches beyond time. Their culture is 
wholly a thing of this life ; but not more so than is the 
culture of men unsanctified by the religion of Christ. 
A culture that terminates with death is in harmony 
with the nature of a horse, but contrary to the nature 
of a man. What is culture ? This is a question on 
whose solution man.'s eternal destiny is largely sus- 
pended. Our age prides itself on being an age of cul- 
ture ; but do we know in what true culture really con- 
sists? As a whole, I think not. A smattering of 



140 ADDRESSES OF 

sentimental literature, a superficial refinement of man- 
ners, a few borrowed phrases and appropriated customs 
of "society," the rendering of a few pieces by rote, 
and fashionable dress, constitute with, alas ! too many 
the standard of culture. How unworthy of their race 
are those who entertain the thought ! All this may be 
but the gilding of barbarism ; beneath this external 
glitter there may be a heart and character steeped in 
moral rudeness and degradation. 

True culture consists not in the cultivation of out- 
ward accomplishments. It consists not in intellectual 
acquirements. It consists in the development of the 
triune man — body, soul and spirit — in their divine har- 
mony. Without a cultivation of the spirit in harmony 
with its immortal destiny, all that this world calls cul- 
ture is but the gilded tinsel that bedecks the putrefac- 
tion of death. The truly cultured man is developed in 
harmony with the laws of his being. This being is 
compound, having a fleshly and a spiritual side. Hence, 
to cultivate one to the neglect of the other is to dispro- 
portion him whom God created in His own image. As 
we exist first in time and next in eternity, that culture 
which loses sight of either state misconceives the full 
mission of man. Man's conception of his present 
mission and ultimate destiny determines his standard of 
culture. He must have an ideal, and if that ideal be 
low, his life will be correspondingly low. Nothing but 
Christianity can furnish man an ideal worthy of himself; 
and nothing but Christian culture can develop him in 
the direction of that ideal. 

Classical antiquity never conceived a destiny worthy 
of man. It never contemplated him in that relation of 
Christ-likeness to his God, which the Bible reveals. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I4I 

Even Aristotle, the most cultivated of all heathen phi- 
losophers, thought that only a part of mankind pos- 
sessed a rational soul. With such a conception man is 
incapable of the highest culture. It is degrading to his 
dignity. All culture based on such a hypothesis must 
be a culture of the flesh, and not of the spirit. It is 
the culture of materialism, not of Christianity. Be- 
tween modern materialism and the cultivated heathen- 
ism of the ancient Greeks the difference is not worth 
the naming. *'To assume the existence of a soul," 
says Vogt, *'' which uses the brain as an instrument 
with which to work as it pleases, is utter nonsense. 
Physiology distinctly and categorically pronounces 
against any individual immortality, and against all ideas 
which are connected with a figment of a separate exist- 
ence of the soul." "Man," says Moleschott, ''is pro- 
duced from \\^ind and ashes. The action of vegetable 
life called him into existence. . . . Thought con- 
sists in the motion of matter, it is a translocation of the 
cerebral substance; without phosphorus there can be 
no thought ; and consciousness itself is nothing but an 
attribute of matter." This deification of the flesh, this 
"gospel of dirt," makes man consist simply of what 
he eats. The missionaries of this heathen gospel have 
no need to address the reason of men ; only feed them 
on the right kind of food and their regeneration is ac- 
complished ! Materialism is a religion of the flesh, a 
deification of matter ; Its laver of regeneration is the 
chemist's retort ; its new birth, phosphorus ! Give the 
brain plenty of phosphorus by high living, and you de- 
velop the soul of materialism ! Yet the heralds of this 
soulless gospel talk flippantly about culture ! 

Man's fall was due to an attempt to acquire knowl- 



142 ADDRESSES OF 

edge at the expense of heart culture. Here, amid 
the bowers of ''paradise lost" is found the root of all 
false culture, and from that root the world has ever 
been filled with a noxious growth. True culture con- 
sists in a correction of the process which 

" Brought death into the world, 
And all our woe." 

Man in his spiritual nature must be educated back 
to the divine image from which he fell. No cul- 
ture comprehending less than this has ever proved a 
permanent blessing to the race. The highest culture 
hitherto attained apart from Christianity was incapable 
of saving its devotees from ruin. Greece and Rome 
were never more cultured, in a popular sense, than 
when they began to go down in death. Materialistic 
culture was their winding-sheet, and "A Religion of 
the Flesh '^ should be their epitaph. As Christlieb has 
truly said: " Wherever civilization is not made to rest 
on the basis of moral and religious truth it can not at- 
tain to any permanent existence, and is incapable of 
preserving the nations possessed of it from spiritual 
starvation, to say nothing of political death." 

It is idle to boast of Liberty when the foundations 
of her temples are not laid in divine truth. Of this, 
Greece and Rome have furnished the world examples. 
In Greece freedom had a field peculiarly her own ; she 
breathed her inspiration into the people, and her spirit 
into their literature ; she lived in the deeds of their 
youth, and was sung by the muse of their bards. This 
spirit was diffused in Rome. Plato, Aristotle and 
Homer were transplanted to the Rhine, the Seine, and 
the Thames. Their land was full of liberty and culture, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 43 

but not the liberty nor the culture of the soul. When 
we learn from Tacitus that "in the first century, in a 
time of famine, all the teachers of youth were banished 
from the city, and six thousand dancers were retained," 
we have an example of that culture which made Rome 
a sink of iniquity. It is not impossible that the fatal 
mistake of Greece and Rome should be repeated in our 
own country. We are venturing to some extent on the 
slippery places from which they fell. The evil star of 
their national ruin is that on which the eyes of many 
of our political leaders are fixed. The godless spirit 
that animated the Roman senate is being nursed into 
new life in American politics, and this nursing is not 
simply in the halls of legislation, but in the homes of 
the people. Here lies the trouble. If the American 
republic ever goes down in ruin, the power that hurls 
it from its high position will be enthroned in the family 
circle. 

We complain that those in authority have not the 
fear of God before their eyes. We lift our hands in 
holy horror at the public corruption which brings our 
nation into dishonor before the world. But who is to 
blame ? One political party is ever ready to ascribe all 
the corruption of the country to its political rival. But 
this godless disregard of national honor and national 
interest is confined to no party. Neither is it confined 
to party leaders ; but it controls the people on whom 
the leaders rely for support. Here is the seat of the 
disease which is gnawing at the vitals of the republic. 
The man who now refuses to cater to the depraved 
tastes of the masses, can not, as a rule, be promoted to 
office. How many men can sit in the halls of legisla- 
tion, or even on our benches of justice, who persist- 



144 ADDRESSES OF 

ently refuse to influence men's votes by money, or in- 
flame their passions and sway their judgment with 
strong drink ? When a man of a high sense of moral 
honor seeks promotion by the suffrage of his fellow- 
citizens, he soon learns that he must come down from 
his ''stilted dignity" or be defeated. In the excite- 
rnent of the canvass he yields to base motives to pre- 
vent defeat. He compromises his high sense of honor, 
deadens his conscience, and sells out his manhood to 
secure an honorable (?) position. We should not ex- 
pect men to manifest a high sense of honor in public 
places as long as we require them to compromise their 
honor in order to secure such places. The thing is 
both unreasonable and unjust. As well expect sweet 
water to flow from a fountain which we have made 
bitter ! 

Party spirit is hostile to moral purity. As one be- 
comes filled with the spirit of party, to that extent 
does he surrender the freedom of a man. He can 
neither think nor speak impartially. He stifles the 
convictions of conscience and shouts the shibboleth of 
party. With him the triumph of party is infinitely 
dearer than the maintenance of principle. Hence the 
conflict becomes a struggle, not for principle, but for 
victory. The people are distracted and the nation 
brought to the verge of ruin over the most trivial mat- 
ters. The Eastern empire was once shaken to its 
foundation by parties which differed only about the 
merits of charioteers at the amphitheater. 

This ruinous party spirit is fostered by ignorance. 
The masses who are controlled at the ballot-box by the 
basest influences, because they will not be controlled 
by any other ; and who in turn control the ballots of 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 45 

our country, are, as a rule, the uncultured part of so- 
ciety. The better class of citizens are not approached 
with the influences which control the ignorant. There- 
fore, the remedy is in the correct education of the 
masses. The emphasis is correctly made ; for any kind 
of education will not accomplish this end. Only as 
people are tndy cultured do they cease to be tools of 
politicians. Then their intelligence, not their passions, 
must be addressed. When the masses are thus cul- 
tured they will refine instead of demoralize our public 
men. 

As a remedy, then, for the demoralization of all 
classes we need a better system of education. We 
must have a free education if we would have a free 
people. Our children must be educated in just princi- 
ples, if we would perpetuate a just government. To 
make this remedy effectual, when the means of educa- 
tion are provided for the ignorant, they should be 
required to appropriate them, or forfeit their right of 
suffrage. No man should have a voice in determining 
the destiny of our nation, who rejects the means of 
that culture which alone can qualify him to act intelli- 
gently. A man who has not spirit enough to avail 
himself of the benefits of an elementary education, 
when placed within his reach, is not worthy of being a 
citizen of a free government. 

Not only must the ballot-box be elevated by cul- 
ture, if this government would number its centennials, 
but it must be purified by Christianity. We need to 
erect a high standard of moral qualification for posi- 
tions of trust and honor. Those in authority will ever 
be about what the people require of them. When un- 
godliness and moral corruption are at a discount among 



146 ADDRESSES OF 

the people, and party spirit can not atone for the 
darkest crimes, then may we expect more purity in 
high places ; not before. This standard must be 
erected at the ballot-box or our liberties will find an 
untimely grave. 

This government was established on a false idea — 
the idea that man is capable of self-government. God 
never intended that man should govern himself. Con- 
sequently, in the strictest sense of the word, he is in- 
capable, both individually and collectively, of self-gov- 
ernment. Since, by his own wisdom, man is incapable 
of governing himself he is likewise incapable of govern- 
ing others. The men and the nations, in the ages of the 
past, that attempted this, failed of the high destiny for 
which God gave them being. The ultimate prosperity of 
men and nations depends on the government of God. 
Only He who created man fully understands his ultimate 
destiny and the laws of his being to attain to that end. 
Therefore, only when man is thus governed is his life a 
success. All sacred history shows that God rules in 
the governments of men ; and only when this fact is 
practically acknowledged may nations expect perma- 
nent prosperity. That nation whose laws are framed 
and executed regardless of the law of God will event- 
ually fall under the divine chastisement. No more can 
the statesmanship of this world, unsanctified by divine 
wisdom, save a nation from the wrath of God, than the 
wisdom of man can save a soul from eternal death 
regardless of Him, 'Svho of God is made unto us 
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and 
redemption." For the disregard of God's will, nations 
are punished here, because as nations they do not 
exist hereafter. On this the Lord has clearly spo- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I47 

Icen : **At what instant I shall speak concerning 
a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, 
and to pull down, and to destroy it : If that nation 
against whom I have pronunced, turn from their evil, 
I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto 
them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning 
a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to 
plant it : If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my 
voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said 
I would benefit them." . Thus it is that nations are in 
the hands of God as clay in the hands of the potter. 
Only, therefore, when they purge themselves from un- 
godly legislation, will they become ''vessels unto 
honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's use./' 

The voice of God, then, must be heard and heeded 
in our nation, and if the people rule, and the nation 
prosper, the voice of God must become the voice of 
the "people. In this sense, and this only, are any people 
eapable of self-government. To this end we need more 
extended culture, and that of a higher order. Our 
politics must be purified by our religion, and our relig- 
ion must be a religion of the spirit, not of the flesh. 
We need more rehgion in our politics, and less politics 
in our religion. The history of other nations fully con- 
iirms the language of Goethe : " All epochs," says he, 
"in which faith prevailed have been the most heart- 
stirring and fruitful, both as regards contemporaries 
and posterity ; whereas, on the other hand, all epochs 
in which unbelief obtains its miserable triumphs, even 
when they boast of some apparent brilliancy, are not 
less surely doomed to speedy oblivion." Liberty is the 
twin sister of Faith. In the language of Seneca : " To 
obey God is freedom. A nation that desires to be free 



148 ADDRESSES OF . 

must believe, and a nation that will not believe must 
be in servitude ; only despotism can dispense v/ith 
faith, but not liberty." 

History clearly proves that national prosperity de- 
pends on an appreciation of the intimate relation exist- 
ing between culture and Christianity. Of this relation 
ChristHeb truly speaks: ''No one, indeed," says he, 
"will wish to deny that in our modern culture there is 
much that is false, egotistic, and selfish ; much that 
is misleading and exaggerated, and consequently op- 
posed to true culture. Against these untrue elements 
of culture, Christianity will and must always take the 
field ; it must not oppose progress, although it is at all 
times bound to show itself hostile to the sins of 
progress, just as from its very commencement it has al- 
ways testified and striven against such sins. Between 
Christless culture and Christianity a bridge of accomo- 
dation can no more be built than between light and dark- 
ness, and woe to him who undertakes this ! B;jt what- 
ever in our modern culture is thoroughly Christless, and 
therefore Godless, is unworthy of the name and can, 
therefore, claim from us no further consideration ; it is 
mere naked rudeness and selfishness, ill-disguised by 
the gaudy rays of outward decency ; a mere cherishing 
of the sensual nature which, left to itself, would soon 
degenerate into monstrous barbarism, of which we al- 
ready see many indications." 

Intellectual, at the expense of moral, culture is one 
of the curses of this age. By such culture man acquires 
power without the principles which alone can make 
that power a blessing. Intellect is deified ; but intel- 
lect unsubdued by Christianity is a remorseless god. 
True culture would lift man above this low conception 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I49 

of his own nature. It would give him a more compre- 
hensive view of himself; of the infinite development 
of which he is susceptible; of the rulings of an all-wise 
Providence, whose loving care 

'<From seeming evil still educing good, 
And better thence again, and better still, 
In infinite progression." 

True* culture consists not in an accumulation of 
facts or ideas, but in developing a force of thought 
that is ever a ready and willing servant. To educate 
is to lead out and develop the faculties, not to break 
them down with the endless rubbish of other minds. 
The collection of facts amounts to but little unless with 
those facts we build towers from which to take higher 
and wider views of truth. Thus it is that culture de- 
mands them as a means, not as an end. To build up 
the mental and moral faculties, so as to comprehend 
and appreciate the great principles which control the 
life that now is, and that which is to come, is the 
highest culture in our probationary state. This can be 
accomplished only by an education in which the Bible 
and the authority of Christ are made paramount. On 
this, as we have seen, our free institutions and the 
perpetuity of religious liberty depend. This is the 
secret of Roman Catholic opposition to the Bible in 
our public schools. And it is not simply the Bible in 
the public schools that Rome opposes ; she is opposed 
to the existence of the schools themselves ; to the sys- 
tem of free education. No people understand better 
than the Catholics the power of religious teaching in 
connection with education. Hence they are the foe to 
all religion in connection with education that is not 
Catholic. Rome is the friend of education and re- 



150 ADDRESSES OF 

ligion when that education is priestly and that rehgiorr 
Romish ; otherwise she is the enemy of both. Hence 
those who support Cathohc schools foster the deadliest 
foe of our religious liberties. There will ever be, 
therefore, an irrepressible conflict between Roman 
Catholicism and Christian culture. Let him who 
doubts this study impartially the history of Catholic 
countries. We ask no more. 

The idea is fast passing away, and it can not pass 
too rapidly, that the mass of the people need no other 
culture than that which fits them for their various vo- 
cations. The world is beginning to learn that culture 
is due to our nature, not to our calling. It is not the 
calling nor the place of residence that makes the man. 
It is what a man is, not what he does, that makes him 
great. True greatness is in the man, not in circum- 
stances. True greatness and worldly fame are two 
widely different things. The greatest men of earth may 
be but little known. -As force of thought measures 
intellectual, so force of principle measures moral, 
greatness. There is more true greatness in the huts of 
poverty than in the palaces of kings, only it is unde- 
veloped. Here, therefore, is where we need true 
Christian culture. I can not better express my appre- 
ciation of obscure greatness, which culture should de- 
velop, than by repeating the words of Dr. Channing : 
" The greatest man," says he, *'is he who chooses the 
right with invincible resolution, who resists the sorest 
temptation from within and without, who bears the 
heaviest burdens cheerfully, who is calmest in storms 
and most fearless under menace and frowns, whose re- 
liance on truth, on virtue, on God, is most unfaltering ; 
and is this a greatness which is apt to make a show, or 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I5I 

which is most likely to abound in conspicuous stations? 
The solemn conflicts of reason with passion ; the victo- 
ries of moral and religious principles over urgent and 
almost irresistible solicitations to self-indulgence ; the 
hardest sacrifices of duty, those of deep-seated affec- 
tion and of the heart's fondest hopes ; the consolations, 
hopes, joys, and peace, of disappointed, persecuted, 
scorned, deserted virtue ; these are of course unseen, 
so that the true greatness of human life is almost 
wholly out of sight. Perhaps in our presence the most 
heroic deed on earth is done in some silent spirit, the 
loftiest purpose cherished, the most generous sacrifices 
made, and we do not suspect it. I believe this great- 
ness to be most common among the multitude, whose 
names are never heard." Most beautifully has the poet 
expressed the same fine thought : 

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene, 

The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear ; 
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen. 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 

These pure gems need to be discovered and pol- 
ished, and these sweet flowers cultivated and utilized 
by Christian culture. It is idle to talk of developing 
these hidden resources of intellectual and moral wealth 
but by true culture, and this can never exist apart 
from Christianity. Christianity is the spiritual power 
that vitalizes the culture of our age. So evident is 
this that even a Fichte was compelled to confess that, 
"We and our whole age are rooted in the soil of 
Christianity, and have sprung from it ; it has exercised 
its influence in the most manifold ways on the whole of 
our culture, and we should be absolutely nothing of all 
that we are, if this mighty principle had not preceded 



152 ADDRESSES OF 

US." Culture and Christianity can not now be di- 
vorced. Those who would array culture against Chris- 
tianity are themselves under the influence of that 
which they oppose. The very imagined imperfections 
of Christianity must be discovered by the light of 
Christianity, ''just as he who seeks to discover spots 
in the sun, must for this purpose borrow the light of 
the sun itself" Culture and Christianity are so inter- 
woven that we may never expect either, separate 
from the other, as a blessing to the world. The very 
fact that the Protestant nations of the earth, where 
God is honored by a free Bible, are the chief exponents 
of true culture, attests this connection. So vital is 
this relation that, "United they stand ; divided they 
fall." 

Another important end to be attained in the cul- 
ture of the masses is independence of thought. We 
need to cast off the yoke of human opinion and culti- 
vate the individual judgment. We are too much the 
slaves of fashion. We are disposed to dress our minds 
as well as our bodies, after the fashion of the times. 
This destroys originality and independence of thought, 
and renders our lives tame and insipid. We need con- 
nection with other minds to excite our own, not to en- 
slave them. We want the thoughts of others that we 
may think ; and without correct modes of thinking, all 
efforts at education and culture are failures. 

But it may be argued, the masses are denied the 
privilege of association with the cultivated. This is 
not true. They may deprive themselves, but they are 
not denied. This is peculiarly an age of printing. The 
best of literature may now find its way into the most 
humble homes. There is not a roof in the land under 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 153 

which the prophets and. apostles of God will not enter 
with the glad message containing the promise of the 
life that is and that which is to come ; not one under 
which the poets will not come to sing to us of that far- 
off land ; not one too holy for the habitation of the 
great minds of earth which inspire us 

"With thoughts that breathe, 
And words that burn." 

With these for our companions, we may have the 
best society that this world affords, and, by such asso- 
ciation, fit ourselves for the companionship of the 
cultivated. 

Is it argued that the poor have not time for self- 
culture? This is one of the greatest mistakes of life. 
It is not time that we want ; it is inclination. Generally, 
those who have most time profit by it least. An earn- 
est purpose wdll either find time or make time. Nor 
is it necessary that much time should be taken. The 
spare moments, the mere fragments of time, often 
worse than wasted, will, if carefully improved, make 
both mind and heart a store-house of the most precious 
treasure. It is said that Spurgeon read the whole of 
Macaulay's History of England between the courses at 
dinner. I would not advise that these golden opportu- 
nities for social culture be devoted to reading ; but the 
circumstance shows how much may be accomplished by 
gathering up the crumbs which fall from the table of 
tim^e. When Martin Luther w^as asked how, amid all 
his other labors, he found time to translate the Holy 
Scriptures, he replied, "One verse a day." A small 
.amount of daily reading, of the right kind, wall furnish 
food for thought ; and it is thought, after all, that en- 
iriches the soul. 



154 ADDRESSES OF 

A proper improvement of the most slender oppor- 
tunities for self-culture creates new capacities for enjoy- 
ment, and saves the leisure moments from being dull 
and wearisome. More than this ; it saves them from 
being devoted to ruinous indulgence. The soul-culture 
for which these fragments of time provide, lifts human- 
ity above mere brutal enjoyments, and implants pleas- 
ures worthy of their race. Christian culture is essential 
to the subduing of sensuality, and the subduing of sen- 
suality is essential to the permanent prosperity of both 
individuals and nations. 

But, it may be said, any considerable degree of cul- 
ture will lift the masses above their vocations, and cause 
them to become dissatisfied with their lot ; that the 
cultured mind despises drudgery. The very reverse of 
this is true. Culture dignifies labor and destroys 
drudgery. The man determines the dignity of the 
calling ; not the calling the dignity of the man. Let 
men of culture carry their culture into their vocations, 
and their vocations will become honorable. Let cul- 
tured men plow and reap, and plowing and reaping will 
become as dignified as the ** learned professions." Be- 
cause a man can not wear as fine a garb at the forge as 
he can at the desk, it does not follow that his thoughts 
may not be as fine. A man may wear a polished intel- 
lect and a cultivated soul under a coarse garb as well as 
under a fine one ; and he should be respected the more, 
if circumstances have compelled him to develop his in- 
tellectual and moral forces ; if at all, under a rough 
exterior. 

While in these thoughts I have spoken of men, I 
have used the term generically. The principles apply 
with equal force to the women of this country. One 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I 55 

of the great evils of our land is, that among the ladies, 
domestic labor is not sufficiently dignified. The num- 
ber of mothers in the ordinary walks of life, silly^ 
enough to think that ignorance of domestic duties is an 
accomplishment for their daughters, is by no means 
small. This results from a want of true culture and 
common sense. There is no just reason why a young 
lady should not knead her dough and conjugate a Greek 
verb at the same time with equal skill. True culture 
will dignify domestic labor among women of all classes, 
and this will result in more domestic prosperity, and 
more domestic happiness. The rich and the poor will 
be brought into closer sympathy, unnecessary distinc- 
tions will be broken down, and the people will become 
one in the essential elements of good government and 
pure religion. 

Young ladies, you above all others should appreci- 
ate the blending of culture and Christianity. One 
glance at the history of the world must convince you 
that the highest culture, unsanctified by Christianity, 
has never elevated your sex above disgraceful servi- 
tude. Certainly you can not entertain the thought, 
that the culture which does not elevate woman can 
ever bless the world. Only Christianity has exalted 
the gentler sex to that position in the esteem and affec- 
tions of men that God designed she should occupy. 
Hence, of all the friends of ancient Christianity, woman 
should be the truest and most lasting ; and of all the 
enemies of modern Rationalism, she should be the 
most bitter and unrelenting. 

In conclusion, allow me to repeat the thought of the 
beginning, that it is the nature of man to look upward, 
and he who does not look upward is untrue to his na- 



156 ADDRESSES OF 

ture. But in the flesh, we can only begin to ascend 
the heights of God. Here we are weighed down with 
infirmity, with our frail, decaying bodies ; but our souls 
long for the power of incessant, never-w^earying, glori- 
ous activity, awaiting us in the upper world. One of 
my highest conceptions of Heaven ; one that thrills 
me to contemplate, is a life of no more prostration 
from labor ; no more weariness of over-wrought brain ; 
no aching head nor pain-racked body; but incessant 
labor, unincumbered by frail mortality ; growth, devel- 
opment, expanding visions of God, among pure intel- 
ligences, and amid the celestial splendor of eternal 
worlds. But in the flesh, I can not bathe in those 
fountains of celestial light. Then let me leave this 
frail tenement of clay, as one steps out of the vehicle 
that can take him no farther, and leaving it behind, as- 
cends the lofty mountain to gaze upon the unfolding 
wonders of God. Let my liberated spirit not only 
look upward, but mount upward, as on eagles' wings, 
till rising above the Pleiades, and leaving the Milky-way 
to fade out in the receding distance, it walks with God 
on the ever-ascending plain, reached only by culture 
and Christianity. 



IL— SELF-CULTURE. 

[An Address Delivered Before Columbia Christian College, 
June 7, 1878.] 

Ladies and Gentlemen : — I am happy in the privilege 
of again addressing you in the interests of the great 
work in which you are so nobly engaged. To-day 
many of you go out from under the fostering care of 
this institution, to engage in the ceaseless battle of life. 
That you have been well panoplied for the conflict is 
not questioned. And, if I can second, in some degree, 
the efforts of your faithful and worthy Faculty in direct- 
ing and encouraging you to that success that should 
crown their efforts and yours, I shall feel that I have 
labored to no trifling purpose. The theme selected for 
your consideration is 

'' Self -Culture.'' 

Man, though fallen, is in his ruins grand. His 
powers of development are little less than infinite. 
They begin with the cradle, but do not end with the 
grave. No other being begins so low and ascends so 
high. In his beginning, he is "crushed before the 
moth;" in the fullness of his power he shall "judge 
angels." In this world he scarcely begins to live. This 
life is too short and this world too small for the devel- 
opment of his God-given faculties. Here he scarcely 
learns the alphabet preparatory to God's grand univers- 
ity from which he is never to graduate. He simply 

157 



158 ADDRESSES OF 

l)egins the study of an unending book. He but gathers 
a few pebbles on the shores of the river of time, then 
^inks beneath its wave. 

But while in this world we scarcely make a begin- 
ning, yet everything depends on the character of that 
beginning. As is the beginning, so will be the conclu- 
sion. In the direction taken in time will we progress 
in eternity. We may repent of our mistakes here and 
correct them, but there is no repentance beyond the 
grave. There are no mistakes corrected in eternity. 
Hence the necessity of a proper use of time. 

I have selected the word culture to express the idea 
which I wish to convey, and yet I must confess that it 
-does not express it as happily as I should desire. 
Where the Greeks had their paideia, the Romans their 
humanitas, we have the more elastic and accommodating 
word culture. I use it in this address in the sense of 
drawing out and developing the nobler powers that are 
potentially in fallen humanity. It is not so much the 
development of all the faculties in man to their highest 
extent, as the directing and training of the better ones 
to their true end. We are dealing here with begin- 
nings, not endings. The perfection of man in all his 
capacities is not a thing of time. In time, the character 
must receive its mold ; in eternity, its highest polish. 

By self-culture I mean, of course, the power that 
one has, and ought to use, of cultivating himself "To 
cultivate anything," says Dr. Channing, "be it a plant, 
an animal, a mind, is to make grow. Growth, ex- 
pansion is the end. Nothing admits culture but that 
which has a principle of life, capable of being ex- 
panded. He, therefore, who does what he can to un- 
fold all his powers and capacities, especially his nobler 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 59 

ones, SO as to become a well proportioned, vigorous, 
happy being, practices self-culture." This may apply- 
to those who have not the advantages of schools and 
colleges, and to the after education of those who have. 

We hear much in this age about a '* finished educa- 
tion at college." There is, alas ! too much truth in the 
expression. Generally, the more superficial our colle- 
giate education, the more completely is it ''finished" 
on the day ol graduation. How few young ladies and 
gentlemen meet the expectations raised by their educa- 
tional advantages ! How few years sadden loving hearts 
with disappointed hopes! How many stars shine bril- 
liantly within college walls, then go out to be seen no 
more! And all this the result of a ''finished educa- 
tion ! " 

Most of these failures are the result of wrong views 
■of education. Our school days are but a beginning of 
our earthly education, as this is but the beginning of that 
which 15 to come. It is not what we learn in school, 
but what we learn after leaving it, that determines our 
success or failure. These advantages are but for the 
purpose of laying the foundation ; the building is the 
work of after years. And he who does not build, does 
not even preserve the foundation. Alas ! how many well- 
laid foundations have moldered into ruin ! No sooner 
does the plant cease to grow than it begins to decay. 
Therefore, he who would live must grow, and he who 
would grow must be active. There is no success to 
him who stands with his hands in his pockets. This is 
an age of intense activity. Competition in every calling 
is sharp ; the professions are crowded, and there is room 
only at the top. Therefore, the path to success is not 
strewed with flowers and tinted with the rainbow's hue. 



l6o ADDRESSES OF 

As Carlyle truly says : * * The race of life has become 
intense ; the runners are treading upon each other's 
heels, woe be to him who stops to tie his shoestrings." 

Many a young man fails because he thinks himself 
a genius, and therefore does not need to study. The 
sooner you get rid of the idea that you are a genius the 
better. The old idea of a genius that never has to 
study is the pet of laziness and the ruin of manliness. 
Sidney Smith truly says : ' ' There is but one method of 
attaining to excellence, and that is hard labor ; and a 
man who will not pay that price for distinction had 
better at once dedicate himself to the pursuit of the 
fox, or sport with the tangles of Neaera's hair, or talk 
of bullocks and glory in the goad ! There are many 
modes of being frivolous, and not a few of being use- 
ful ; there is but one mode of being intellectually 
great." 

It is common for those who have not the wealth to 
afford them a luxurious college course to bemoan their 
misfortune and content themselves with being nothing. 
If culture were attained by complaining of misfortune, 
many would soon reach perfection. To some, extreme 
poverty is doubtless a misfortune, but to many others 
it is a blessing. The world's grandest heroes and ben- 
efactors have struggled with poverty ; and, but for this, 
they would have died unwept and unhonored. The 
great men and women of earth were not dandled in the 
lap of luxury. Lord Thurlow, Chancellor of England, 
when asked by a wealthy friend what course his son 
should pursue to secure success at the bar, is said to 
have thus replied: ''Let your son spend his fortune, 
marry and spend his wife's, and then go to the bar ; 
there will be little fear of his failure." The Chancellor 



FRANK G. ALLEN. l6l 

well knew that, with his wealth, the young man would 
not do the work that success demanded. How many 
men, and women, too, were never anything till they 
lost their fortune ! Then the world felt their power. 
What a fortune, then, to have no fortune to lose ! True, 
poverty brings difficulties, but difficulties develop men. 
They show the material out of which one is composed. 
While they dishearten the irresolute, they stimulate the 
brave. The wind that extinguishes the taper only in- 
tensifies ihe heat of the stronger flame. Gnats are 
blown with the wind, but kites rise only against it. 

All culture is, in a large degree, self-culture. Our 
teachers are only helps. They can teach us, but they 
can not learn us. We must do our own learning. 
Wealth can not buy it, nor luxurious surroundings im- 
part it ; it must be made ours by personal application. 

I am not contending that all may or should be 
scholars in the proper sense of that word. There is a 
difference between culture and scholarship. A man of 
culture may or may not be a scholar. I plead more 
especially for the training of the mind, for the develop- 
ment of the nobler faculties of our nature, that we may 
fulfill the true end of our being. 

I do not mean that all should be great, in the pop- 
ular acceptation of that term. This is neither desirable 
nor possible. If all were great, then none were great. 
But God has designed us all for positions of usefulness 
and happiness ; some in one direction, some in another. 
These positions we should seek and fill to the full ex- 
tent of our ability. And it is with reference to this 
ability that I am making the plea for self-culture. It is 
not simply preparation for a position, but development 
in it, for which I plead. There is much said in this age 



1 62 AEDRESSES OF 

about education for a position, and this education is all 
right ; the more thorough the better. But the trouble 
is, too many seem to think that this is all. Here is the 
ruinous mistake. There is a world of difference be- 
tween being educated for 2, calling, and being educated in 
it. That may be obtained in schools and colleges ; this 
is a work of subsequent life. That is important ; this 
is indispensable. Without that, this may be a grand 
success ; without this, that is next to worthless. Many 
men are highly educated in their calling who were never 
educated for it. This is self-culture in its true sense. 

Nor is the culture for which I plead derived simply 
from books. These we need, but we need them simply 
as helps. We should make them our servants, not our 
masters. A *' bookworm" is sometimes a very in- 
ferior kind of a worm. Some men that the schools 
call highly educated rely so much on books that they 
are nothing in themselves. They have no mind of their 
own. They deal altogether in second-hand goods. We 
need to lay aside our books, and study men and things 
— commence with God and nature. We must learn to 
think. To think much. To think accurately. To do 
our own thinking, not have it done for us. Without 
this, we shall make but little of our advantages ; with 
it, we rise superior to advantages. 

Neither am I contending that we should all strive 
for the ''learned professions." It is just the reverse. 
We want to elevate and ennoble the 2/;/learned profes- 
sions. The American people, at least, should learn 
that the calling does not make the man. We need to 
dignify all the honest and legitimate vocations by intel- 
lectual and moral culture. We not only need to dignify 
labor by culture, but, by so doing, we need to dignify 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 163 

the mass of our common humanity. Personal worth 
consists not in what one does, but in what one is. . 
Better be a good barber than a poor doctor, a good 
shoemaker than a poor lawyer. 

I would not be understood as claiming that men and 
women in all the vocations in life should be cultured in 
all directions. In this age of short and intense life this 
is not practicable. It might have done before the flood, 
Avhen men lived a thousand years, but it is not adapted 
to the nineteenth century. Remember I am speak- 
ing with reference to the masses. Men can not 
know everything, neither can they do everything, 
and do it well. All knowledge may be made use- 
ful, and I would urge the obtaining of all possible ; 
but it is a mistake to try to do too much, and 
do nothing. A few things well understood are of more 
value than a smattering of much. By all means avoid 
being *' Jack-of-all-trades. " Decide what you want to 
do and do it. I would urge the training of mind and 
heart and hand as a specialty in that which you select 
as a life work, embellished and perfected by all the gen- 
eral knowledge that a life of intense application will 
•enable you to possess. Difference in occupation de- 
mands a difference in special culture, but not in general. 
This is culture, not of the schools, simply, but of life. 

But the difficulties and the means of self-culture 
need now to be considered. In doing this, the first 
essential element to success to which your attention is 
called, is 

SELF-RELIANCE. 

No man ever amounted to much who did not rely 
on God and himself. The young man who whines 
around, waiting for some one to help him, instead of 



164 ADDRESSES OF 

helping himself, ought to be sent back to the nursery^ 
clothed in enlarged baby-gowns, and fed with a spoon. 
Men of independence are the men that move the world. 
The living rarely walk well in the shoes of the dead, 
and he who waits for them ought to go barefooted all 
his life. God helps those who help themselves. Self- 
reliance toughens our sinews and develops our manhood. 
"It is not in the sheltered garden or the hothouse, but 
on the rugged Alpine cliffs where the storm bursts most 
violently, that the toughest plants are reared." The 
man who does not rely on self, soon ceases to have any 
self. He becomes a zoological parasite, instead of a 
man. He is a lobster that waits for the sea to come to 
him, instead of going to it, though its waves may be 
dashing at his feet. Should the sea accomodate him in 
time, well enough ; otherwise he dies. These men 
make the subjunctive heroes of the world. They 
always ''might," ''could," "would" or "should" do 
some great thing ; but they never get into the impera- 
tive mood to do it. They have never learned self- 
reliance ; and, the result is, they never learned anything 
worth knowing. They can never appreciate this saying 
of the immortal Burke : "I was not rocked and 
swaddled and dandled into a legislator. Nitoi' in adver- 
simi is the motto for a man like me." 

Those who are afraid to move without the arms of 
a rich ancestry around them, will never learn to walk 
erect. They will never have a firm, elastic step, nor 
make the world feel the weight of their tread. The 
man who thus shrinks from difficulties and responsibili- 
ties, refuses to be a pupil of the best teacher the world 
affords. They should learn that repeated failure, if 
wisely used, is but a means to grand success. As Dr. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. l6$ 

Mathews truly says : "Great statesmen in all coun- 
tries have owed their sagacity, tact and foresight more 
to their failures than to their successes. The diploma- 
tist becomes master of his art by being baffled, thwarted 
defeated, quite as much as by winning his points. 
Every time he is checkmated he acquires a profounder 
knowledge of the political game, and makes his next 
combination with increased skill and increased chances 
of success. " Ease and luxury may make the butterflies 
of society, but difficulties make men and women. 
That was a wise saying of Pythagoras, that, * * ability 
and necessity dwell near each other." It is astonishing 
how difficulties will yield to one who will not yield to 
them. They tip their plumed caps to his dominant 
will, and politely bow themselves out of sight. They 
not only clear the way for self-reliance, but give him the 
encouragement of their parting salute. 

''Every person," says Gibbon, "has two educa- 
tions — one which he receives from others, and one, 
more important, which he gives himself." Archimedes 
said, "Give me a standing-place and I will move the 
world." But Goethe more happily says, "Make good 
thy standing-place and move the world." Circumstances 
may afford a standing-place, but self-reliance alone can 
give the leverage power. We must learn that character 
and worth consists in doing, not in possessing. Not 
resting, not having, not being simply, but growing and 
becoming, is the true character of self-culture. This 
thought is most beautifully expressed by Rogers — 

" Our reward 
Is in the race we run, not in the prize, 
Those few, to whom is given what they ne'er earned, 
Having by favor or inheritance 



1 66 ' ADDRESSES OF 

The dangerous gifts placed in their hands, 
Know not, nor ever can, the generous pride 
That glows in him who on himself relies, 
Entering the lists of life. He speeds beyond 
Them all, and foremost in the race succeeds. 
His joy is not that he has got his crown, 
But that the powder to win the crown is his." 

Another important item in the attainment of self- 
culture is the 

ECONOMY OF TIME. 

Time is a divine inheritance that no man has a right 
to squander. The antediluvians might have afforded to 
be a little profligate in this direction, but the man wha 
would fulfill his high destiny in this age has no time to 
lose. Lost time is forever lost. There is much useless 
complaint in the world of a want of time. It is not more 
time we need, so much as a better use of that we have, 
I do not mean that we should deprive ourselves of re- 
quisite sleep and rest. On the contrary, the regulation 
of these constitutes a part of the economy of which I 
speak. Rest is necessary ; but all rest is not idleness. 
We should learn to rest by changing our employment, 
not by its abandonment. The man whose mind be- 
comes weary in his study, finds the most invigorating 
rest in manual labor. The physical and intellectual 
have a happy reflective influence on each other. The 
moments wisely taken for intellectual and moral culture 
by the laboring man are fountains whose refreshing 
stream, like that from Horeb, follows him through his 
daily toil. They are a ceaseless pleasure, both in re- 
membrance and anticipation. Those, also whose lives 
are disconnected with manual labor should have such 
a variety of work that one kind prepares the way for 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 6/ 

the enjoyment of another. There are both pleasure 
and health in a change of diet. To happily manage 
this variety requires a training of the mind essential to 
self-culture. We must learn to do the right thing at 
the right time. The happy influence of one thing 
upon another depends on their arrangement and the 
manner of their execution. It may not be well to have 
too many irons in the fire, but it is certainly best to 
have enough for some to be heating while others are 
cooling. 

In order to do the right thing at the right time, and 
do it well, we must learn to think about the right thing 
at the right time. This is one of the most important 
features in mental training. We can think well on but 
one thing at a time. Therefore, the mind that is filled 
with various kinds of thoughts can prosecute none of 
them successfully. We must learn to select the guests 
that we would have sit at our intellectual banquets, 
summon or exclude them at will, and never permit the 
intrusion of a promiscuous crowd. When our work is 
arranged for the day, the week, the month, the year, 
we should set apart the time to be devot.ed to each 
item, both in work and in thought; and then never, 
allow the thoughts of one to encroach upon the time 
alloted to another. We should so train the mind that 
we can think about the thing only of which we wish to 
think, concentrate our whole mind upon it till the time 
comes to put it away ; then dismiss it in a moment, 
turn to something else, and think no more about it, till 
its proper time. The mind is soon trained to pass from 
one subject to another in a moment, with all its powers 
of concentration. This mastery of the mind, once 
attained, will enable us to study at all times and places 



1 68 ADDRESSES OF 

regardless of circumstances. The man who can not 
study amid the wild shouts of the excited multitude is 
not his own master. He who can command his time 
and his talents only when no surging billows beat 
against his quiet retreat, has necessarily to spend much 
of life in which he has neither time nor talents which 
he can call his own. A very important item, then, in 
the economy of time, is to learn to labor under 
difficulties, till we rise superior to external surround- 
ings. To keep the reins of the mind well in hand 
when there is a stampede all around us, is absolutely 
essential in the great crises of life. This is attained 
only by training the mind to instantaneous concen- 
tration under all circumstances. This, then, I would 
urge you to persist in until it is accomplished. Without 
this you will lose much time in acquiring information, 
and, what is of vastly more importance, you will be 
unprepared to use what you have at the very time, 
it may be, when it is most needed. 

Another important element in the economy of time 
we learn from the great Teacher who said, " Gather up 
the fragments, that nothing be lost." If He who had 
the power to create as well as to preserve, was such an 
economist of the remnants of loaves and fishes, how 
much more should we save the fragments of time, 
which we can not lengthen out a span? 

Many people seem to think they can make gar- 
ments only out of whole cloth. If they have not an 
abundance of uninterrupted time in which to accom 
plish a thing, they think they can not accomplish it at 
all. Such men accomplish but little, not for want of 
time, but for want of its economy. To avoid this 
waste, we must learn to weave whole garments out of 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 69 

the mere ravelings of the fabric of time. But some 
complain that they can not "get up steam" for intel- 
lectual labor in these fractions of time. We don't 
need to "get up steam." The "steam" should be 
already up. We only need to change the gearing. 
"There is a momentum in the active man," says 
Mathews, "which of itself almost carries him to the 
mark, just as a very light stroke will keep a hoop going, 
when a smart one was required to set it in motion. 
While others are yawning and stretching themselves to 
overcome the vis ijiertiae, he has his eyes wide open, 
his faculties keyed up for action, and is thoroughly 
alive in every fiber. He walks through the world with 
his hands unmuffled and ready by his side, and so can 
sometimes do more by a single touch in passing than a 
vacant man is likely to do by strenuous effort." 

Let no one conclude that nothing important can be 
accomplished by these scattered fragments. It is said 
that " Hugh Miller found time while pursuing his trade 
as a stone-mason, not only to read but to write, culti- 
vating his style till he became one of the most facile 
and brilliant authors of the day." Also, that Elihu 
Burritt "acquired a mastery of eighteen languages and 
twenty-two dialects, not by rare genius, which he dis- 
claimed, but by improving the bits and fragments of 
time which he could steal from his occupation as a 
blacksmith." 

With these examples before us, then, let no one 
conclude that he can not get time from his daily voca- 
tion, whatever it may be, to cultivate his mind, and 
develop his moral and intellectual faculties. Another 
-essential element in self-culture is 



170 ADDRESSES OF 



SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE. 



" A man," says Emerson, " is like a bit of Labra- 
dor spar, which has no lustre as you turn it in your 
hand until you come to a particular angle ; then it 
shows deep and beautiful colors." There is no adapta- 
tion or universal applicability in man ; but each has his 
special talent ; and the mastery of successful men con- 
sists in adroitly keeping themselves where and when 
that turn shall need oftenest to be practiced. The suc- 
cessful man in every calling, whether literary, scientific 
or business, is he who is totus in illo — who can say with 
Paul, this one thing I do ! With the exception of a 
few great creative minds, the men whose names are his- 
toric are identified with some one achievement, upon 
which all their life force is spent. *' Whatever I have 
tried to do in my life," says Dickens, "I have tried 
with all my heart to do well. What I have devoted 
myself to, I have devoted myself to completely. Never 
to put one hand to a thing on which I would not throw 
my whole self, and never to affect depreciation of my 
work, whatever it was, I find now to have been golden 
rules." The fact is, the range of human knowledge 
has become so extensive that the man who would know 
some things well must have the courage to be ignorant 
of many others. There are many things for which one 
is wholly incapacitated; for which he has no talent, 
and, as a rule, time spent in this direction is time lost. 
Goethe justly says : " We should guard against a talent 
which we can not hope to practice in perfection. Im- 
prove it as we may, we shall always, in the end, when 
the merit of the master has become apparent to us, 
painfully lament the loss of time and strength devoted. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I^I 

to such botching." Sidney Smith condemns what he 
calls the ' ' foppery of universality — of knowing all sci- 
ences and excelling in all arts." ''Now my advice," 
he says, ''on the contrary, is to have the courage to 
be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to 
avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything." 

I do not mean that you should try to learn but one 
thing, or be a man or woman of one idea ; far from it. 
I simply mean that you must be select. Select your 
calling, and then bend all your energies in that direc- 
tion. Let those branches of knowledge that bear most 
directly on your vocation be mastered first, then widen 
the circle as opportunity affords. Do not scatter your 
powers over so much territory that they are felt no- 
where. It is only when the sun's rays are brought to 
a focus that they burn. The man who is one thing this 
year, another next ; studies medicine a while, then law, 
is next a school-teacher, and then an insurance agent, 
will, in the end, be nothing. Men who are always 
changing, never learn enough about anything to make 
it of any value. Men who are eminent in their profes- 
sions have stuck to them with a singleness of purpose. 
Men talk much about genius, when, generally, the 
genius of which they speak is but the result of unre- 
mitting application. The genius that blesses this world 
is simply a talent for hard work. They are men who 
have the resolution to try, and the courage to persevere. 
Idle men of the most eminent natural ability are soon 
distanced in the race by the mediocre who sticks to his 
purpose and plods. Then, I repeat, if you would suc- 
ceed in life, in whatever calling you may select, divest 
yourself of the idea that you are a genius and do not 
need the application demanded by common mortality ^ 



1/2 ADDRESSES OF 

rely not on the caprices of fickle fortune ; but rely on 
God and yourself, economize your time, apply yourself 
with diligence and with singleness of purpose. With 
these you will be a blessing to the world, and fulfill the 
Jiigh and holy purposes of God in giving you being. 

Self-culture looks not simply to time, but to eternity. 
No man is truly cultured who is not cultured for eter- 
nity. His culture is but one-sided, and that the most 
inferior side. The well-rounded and perfected culture, 
though it may be only partial so far as the culture of 
this world is concerned, is the culture that prepares 
■one to matriculate in the great university over which 
God presides, and sit forever in delightful appreciation 
at the feet of the great Teacher. Let this, then, be the 
ultimatum of all your efforts. 

It is for this reason that you should so highly appre- 
ciate this institution from which you go out to-day as 
honored students. While the various branches of the 
arts and sciences that pertain to this life, have been 
carefully and accurately taught you, the great Science 
of eternal life, if I may so term it, has been, I trust, 
indelibly engraved on your every heart. A college 
whose faculty is composed exclusively of Christian 
men and women, and in which the systematic study of 
the Bible by both ladies and gentlemen is made one of 
its most prominent features, will ever be most highly 
appreciated by those who appreciate true culture, and 
Icnow in what it consists. I think I appreciate a high 
standard of education, and I want, if possible, to give 
my children its advantages ; but I should infinitely pre- 
fer their never going beyond the common school than 
to be graduated with the first honors from the most re- 
nowned colleges or universities of Europe or America, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 75, 

in which the authority of Jesus is not held as supreme, 
and the Bible honored as our only divine ^uide. Other 
things being equal, we should always honor those insti- 
tutions most that honor God's word most. For this 
reason, then, as well as for many others, we delight to 
honor this institution from whose fostering care you 
this day go forth. 

In conclusion, let me entreat you to be what this 
world now most needs — men and women. The world 
is now burdened with ''gentlemen and ladies;" but it 
is perishing for the want of men and women. The 
world needs men and women that are true to them- 
selves, true to each other, and true to God — men and 
women who know what manliness is, and what womanly 
virtues are ; who delight in the real, and scorn the 
counterfeit ; who have the courage to do right because ' 
it is right ; who would rather stand alone on the side of 
truth, than with the world on the side of error ; who 
are governed by high and holy principle, not by selfish 
policy. We need men and women that will create a 
healthier pubHc sentiment, rather than to float on that 
which exists; who will frown out of countenance the 
fraud, dishonesty and meanness that now lifts high its 
head in society ; who will not live in fine palaces, drive 
fast horses, and occupy the first pews in the sanctuary, 
at ten cents on the dollar. The world needs men and 
women who have hearts and consciences, as well as 
brains ; who realize that they have a soul as well as a 
body ; who live for eternity rather than for time. 

God grant that you may all make such men and 
women. That you may not only be a blessing to the 
age and generation in which you live ; but that your 
influence for the ''true, the beautiful and the good,'* 



1/4 ADDRESSES OF 

may be felt like the gentle dews of heaven upon the 
«arth, generations after you are gathered to your 
fathers! May you be diligent and faithful in the culti- 
vation of your nobler powers of mind and heart till the 
world shall bless God that you have lived In it ; then 
laying aside the body, in which you have fought the 
grand fight for righteousness and truth — a fight on 
which God and angels have looked with interest and 
delight as you would lay aside a worn-out garment, and 
passing through ''the gates ajar," enter on a higher 
plane of culture, where you will not have to rely upon 
self, and struggle against adversity as here ; but where 
you will have all the facilities of Heaven, and be for- 
ever pupils of the great Teacher ! 



III.— PLUS ULTRA VS. NE PLUS ULTRA. 

[An Address Delivered Before Eminence College, June lo, 1881.] 

Ladies and Gentlemen of Eminence College : — It 
lias ever been a delight to me to meet with the faculty 
-and students of Eminence College on these festive oc- 
casions. It is but natural that the hearts of those who 
have gone out from these classic halls should turn on 
these gala days, and in feeling if not in fact, renew the 
fond associations of the past. They are oases in the 
desert ; well-springs to the thiraty soul in the journey 
of life. I should, therefore, be untrue to myself, and 
unjust to you, were I not to confess to a pardonable 
pride in the privilege of addressing for the second time 
one of the graduating classes of this renowned institu- 
tion. The subject on which I shall to-day address 
you is 

''Plus Ultra vs. Ne Plus Ultras 

Spain is the great southwestern peninsula of Europe. 
It juts out between two seas as does no other country 
of that continent. Before the discovery of America by 
Columbus, the Spanards prided themselves on the 
supposed fact that their country was the last poi-nt of 
solid land on the earth westward. Beyond them, they 
thought, there was nothing but a vast expanse of water 
— a shoreless ocean — a mystery never to be solved. 
Consequently the early coins of that country, in order 

to give prominence to this idea, were indented with a 

175 



1/6 ADDRESSES OF 

picture of the pillars of Hercules, the two great sen- 
tries on each side of the straits of Gibraltar. En- 
circling these pillars on their coins was the inscription, 
ne plus ultra — nothing beyond. They imagined, there- 
fore, that they constituted the limits of creation ; that 
beyond them there was nothing. Consequently, as in 
creation the last is the best, they gave to themselves 
the preeminence. In this proud idea they rested and 
praised the Lord. In their own estimation, therefore, 
they constituted the ne plus ultra of God's favored 
people. Thus they constituted another proud monu- 
ment of man's folly and ignorance, from which it is 
well to take warning. In course of time, however, 
Columbus conceived the idea of another world west of 
Spain. After long years of discouragement, sufficient 
to crush the spirit of all but those of noble impulses 
and high resolves, he was permitted, w^ith a small fleet, 
utterly insignificant in this age, to sail westward. He 
thus discovered the new world whose existence, if ever 
known before, had faded from the memory of man. On 
his return, when the Spaniards became convinced that 
a great continent lay to the west of them, they were 
compelled, humiliating as it was, to change the in- 
scription on their coins, encircling the pillars of Her- 
cules, to phts ultra — more beyond. This the demon- 
strated truth demanded. Thus the discovery of Amer- 
ica took the ne off of their proud motto, thus teaching 
them a lesson which should be a lesson to the world. 
Their negation was changed to an affirmation. Their 
boasted limit of creation was changed to an acknowl- 
edgment of the unknown beyond. Thus it has ever 
been in man's proud history. Thus it will doubtless 
continue to be till we know as we are known. * ' Whether 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1/7 

there be knowledge, it shall vanish away; for now we 
know only in part, but then shall we know even also as 
we are known." 

The first thought with which I would impress your 
minds to-day, especially the minds of those who go out 
from this institution with the honors of graduation, is 
that there is something beyond — the plus ultra of a col- 
legiate education. One of the most fatal mistakes in 
securing a collegiate education is, that this is all. If 
one of you entertains the idea to-day that your educa- 
tion is "finished," you will be a failure. We hear 
much in this age about a ** finished education " in col- 
lege. Alas ! there is too much truth in it. The edu- 
cation of many is thus ''finished," and their progress 
in life is 2i\so finished. A college course is not the end, 
but simply the means, of an education. This is simply 
the foundation, not the structure. On this you are to 
hereafter build ; otherwise the foundation will be 
worthless. Without the after building the foundation 
itself will decay. This is alike the teaching of the 
history of man and the Son of God. On this founda- 
tion, therefore, I would urge you to build, not for time 
only, but for eternity. On it you should erect a noble 
structure, at once an ornament and a blessing to your 
race. This can not be done in a day. Patience and 
perseverance are the price of success. You must learn 
to "labor and to wait." 

How often do we see the scintillations of genius 
within college walls, of which we see or hear nothing 
after the day of graduation ? On that day the sun of 
their brilliancy seems to set forever. Why is this ? 
Simply because they think their graduation is the ne 
plus ultra of their literary life. 



1/8 ADDRESSES OF 

It is not what we learn in college, but what we learn 
after leaving it, that makes us what we are in after life. 
The value of a collegiate education consists not in the 
amount of information it imparts, but in a preparation 
for the accumulation and use of information. Not 
simply the best minds, but the best students are those 
who win the prize in the end. Not the best students 
in college, but the best students after leaving it, are 
those who make the world feel their power. Many 
study hard for the honors of graduation, and beyond 
this seem to have no aspirations. If this is their ne 
plus ultrUy then it is worthless. This institution does 
not educate you for graduation ; it graduates you for 
education. Without this end in view, its labors would 
better cease. An institution is honored not by what its 
students know on the day of commencement, but by 
what they know and do ere they matriculate in the 
great university of worlds. It is, therefore, young 
ladies and gentlemen, to this end and not to this hour, 
that your teachers have faithfully labored to bring you. 
Without this in view, you will miss the grand purpose 
of your education thus far. 

Doubtless many of us know men and women who 
have not grown an inch since the day that they went 
out from these or other halls of learning. They may 
have promised much at the beginning. On their suc- 
cess high hopes were built. Loving hands were impa- 
tient to wreathe their brows with the garlands of vic- 
tory. But, alas ! those hopes have been blighted and 
those garlands have withered. We see them in the 
pulpit, at the bar, and in all the other vocations of 
life. They are failures, not for want of mind, but for 
want of application. They have not followed up their 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1/9 

victories, and their victories have turned to defeat. 
They have been resting on the honor of faded laurels, 
that in their freshness so become you to-day. To 
gather these was the ne plus ultra of their efforts, and 
hence the end of their success. Therefore, if any of 
you to-day look upon your graduation as the consum- 
mation of your literary struggles, let me exhort you to 
change your motto, and, like the Spaniards, on the 
birth of the new world, discard the idea of a possessed 
ulthnatum, and imprint upon your banner plus ultra — 
more beyond. 

As most of the graduating class are ladies, I feel 
the necessity of speaking especially of their hopes and 
prospects. Till recently, the hindrances of woman's 
'education and literary position have been great and dis- 
couraging. But, thanks to the religion of Jesus, her 
■disabilities have in Christian lands been removed. 
Woman was the crowning workmanship of God, and 
she has received the crowning blessings of Christianity. 
By the blessing of Christianity, the intellectual and 
spiritual powers of woman are encouraged. The world 
is often dazzled by her genius, astonished at her re- 
sources, and subdued by her spirit. She has stood in 
the halls of learning, walked in the groves of science, 
and gathered laurels on the mountains of fame. She 
has stimulated the world's genius, soothed its passion, 
and strewed her pathway through it with the sweetest 
flowers. Women have ever been the world's brightest 
angels of mercy — 

*' Whose company has harmonized mankind, 
Soften 'd the rude and calmed the boisterous mind." 

There are positions in the world for which woman 
was not made. The finishing touches of creation's 



l80 ADDRESSES OF 

wondrous works were too delicate to fit her for the 
political arena, the command of armies, or the found- 
ing of empires. She was made for higher and holier 
ends than these. She is adapted to a work more 
noble and more enduring. Her empire is in the heart, 
and her scepter one of spiritual dominion. Here she 
is a queen, and reigns without a rival. While there is 
a hmit to her appropriate field of action, there is no 
limit to her power. Some one has said : " The current 
of female existence runs more within the embankments 
of home." This is true, but her influence overflows 
those banks and inundates the world. Her influence 
may be compared to the sparkling rivulet that bursts 
from the mountain peak, then winding its way to the 
valley below, it flows gently onward for thousands of 
miles, through rugged hills and fertile plains, bathing 
the feet of great cities and slaking the thirst of great 
countries, augmented by its tributaries, till, bearing 
upon its bosom the commerce of a nation, it pours its 
flood of waters into the world's great ocean. As our 
grand Mississippi will readily yield to an infant's touch, 
and yet bear upon its bosom the proudest vessels of 
man's invention, so is the tenderness and the power of 
woman's influence. 

I have spoken of woman being the ''last of crea- 
tion." This expression is generally used in a false 
sense. She was last because God created on an as- 
cending scale. She was, therefore, last in creation and 
first in redemption. She gave to the world its Saviour, 
and first proclaimed His birth from the dead. She was 
His best friend while He was here, and has been most 
devoted to His cause during His absence. Hence 
where Christianity goes woman's power is felt. The 



FRANK G. ALLEN. l8l 

extent to which woman is honored marks to-day with 
unerring certainty the extent of a nation's civiHzation. 

Young ladies, you have before you a field of golden 
opportunities. Only thrust in your sickles and reap. 
In this age and country there are great potentialities to 
every young lady of a good mind and a pure heart. 
Let no one, therefore, be discouraged. Remember 
that there is something beyond — the phis ultra of a well- 
begun life. 

Having urged the necessity of plus ultra as your 
motto, as against ?ie plus ultra, I may drop some profit- 
able hints as to the attainment of success. You know 
that one may give good advice, though he may not 
have profited by it himself. 

In the first place, everything depends on work. In- 
tense application is the price of success. The world's 
benefactors are the world's hard workers. ''Tickle the 
earth with a hoe, and it will laugh at you with a har- 
vest." But it closes its fists against those who extend 
to it an idle hand. Many people contend that the 
world owes them a living, and grumble that it does not 
pay the debt. What have they done for the world to 
bring it into their debt ? The world owes every man a 
living when he earns it by honest toil, and not before. 
Those who sow with a stingy hand may expect to reap 
a scanty harvest. You should, therefore, in whatever 
vocation you may elect, strive to succeed on this prin- 
ciple ; otherwise you will not deserve success. 

You should not be discouraged because surround- 
ings are not favorable, and hope seems long deferred. 
Be not impatient of results. Do your whole duty, and 
Jeave the consequences with the Lord. Never strive to 
be great. Few men become great this way, and they 



1 82 ADDRESSES OF 

never deserve it. True greatness comes as a result of 
devotion to principle and duty. The highest and 
noblest success comes through a spirit of self-forgetful- 
ness. 

Learn to be indifferent to surroundings. You need 
not catch the ''spirit of the age " unless the " spirit of 
the age " is worth catching. When you contemplate 
Marquis de Condorcet, in the dark days of the French 
Revolution, hiding in a lonely room in the city of 
Paris, while its streets ran red with noble and innocent 
blood, quietly writing a book whose subject was, 
* ' Man's Certain Progress to Liberty, Virtue ^ and Happi- 
ness,'' you will understand what I mean. 

You must learn to think; to think regardless of 
surroundings ; to think only of the thing of which you 
wish to think ; and on this to concentrate the whole 
power of your mind. This requires careful training; 
but this only is education. With this you have full 
command of all your resources ; without this they^ 
avail but little. The great motive power of the world 
is thought. Information without thought is simply a 
peddler burdened with stale wares on a dead market. 
It is not what one knows, but what he can produce, 
that makes the world feel his power. Hence one must 
be a producer as well as a receiver. The world's 
thought must be regenerated in his own mind. He 
should turn the world's dead facts into living thoughts 
— "Thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." 

Avoid fickleness of purpose. Decide to do some- 
thing in harmony with your endowments and the will 
of God, and do it. Many people of fine attainments 
and intellectual powers are spending their lives trying 
to decide for what purpose the Lord made them. Be 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 83 

fore they determine what they are good for, the world 
is certain to decide that they are good for nothing. 
Life is too precious to be spent in hesitation. He who 
vacillates will do nothing. Concentration is power. 
The rays of the sun that would hardly warm an 
infant's hand will, when concentrated by a lens, blis- 
ter the palms of the hardiest sons of toil. 

If we would make life a success, we must Hve for a 
purpose. He who lives simply for the sake of living, 
has no just conception of life. Those who live for the 
gratification of the flesh should remember that the goat 
Hves for the same purpose. How humiliating the 
thought, that so many of the cultured, as well as the 
ignorant ; the rich as well as the poor; the '* cream of 
society " as well as its dregs, are thus living on the low 
plane of animal life ! The grand distinction between 
man and the brute creation is in his spirit nature. 
Without spiritual culture, every thought, every aspira- 
tion, every gratification, is of the earth earthy. How 
sad, then, to see the gaudy "butterflies of society" 
spending their lives without a thought above that 
which alone can lift them forever above the plane 
of animal life ! It is sad thus to think, but sadder 
still 'tis true. The enjoyment of "society," there- 
fore, must not be your ne plus ultra, else life will be a 
failure. 

In order to the highest success, you should live 
fast, but not in the world's bad sense of that word. I 
simply mean that your life should be intense. Mere 
existence is not life. Life is action. Life is not 
measured by time, but by experience. It is our duty, 
therefore, to live all we can in the time allotted us. 
The patriarchs lived longer than we, but we may live 



184 ADDRESSES OF 

more than they. This is a grand age in which we live. 
We may now live more in fifty years than Methuselah 
did before the flood. The time is short. Hence if we 
would live much we must live fast 

But here I anticipate an objection. You say, 
** We shall shorten our days by fast living." Not by 
this kind of fast living. The world will never be troubled 
for burying ground for those who kill themselves 
simply by hard work. It is not work, but worry, that 
wears men out. We have too much friction in our lives. 
This must be stopped. An hour's passion will tell 
more on the constitution than a week's work. The 
largest amount of action, with the smallest amount of 
friction, is the problem before you ; and he is the 
wisest philosopher who gives to us its best practical 
solution. 

I wish now to invite your attention to mistakes that 
men have made in supposing that their knowledge was 
the ne plus ultra of human wisdom. Time was when 
the alchemists thought they possessed the ne plus ultra 
of human knowledge, and that wisdom would die with 
them ; yet their knowledge is now to chemistry what 
astrology is to astronomy. It is a superstition on whose 
claims no scientist would dare to risk his reputation. 
Now chemistry is the ne plus ultra of human wisdom, 
and every man is a fool who does not hold the key to 
the secret chambers of its hidden treasures ! But how 
long till we shall have a new chemistry that will render 
the old a bundle of laughable folly ? The fact is, by 
the advancement of human knowledge we demonstrate 
that our ancestors were a set of fools, and our pos- 
terity will doubtless pay us the same compliment ! The 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 8$ 

philosophy of history should teach us to be modest, 
and to keep as our motto plus tdtra versus ne plus ultima. 
Modern science has demonstrated that of all unreli- 
able thing^s, ancient science is the most unreliable. We 
should, therefore, expect to eventually see modern 
science remanded to the same category. One of the 
greatest inventors of the age, Mr. Edison, whose inven- 
tions have had to do wholly with modern science, tells 
us that he has been constantly thrown off the track and 
misled by the frauds of science. He thus expresses 
his estimate of the authorities in modern science : 

"They [the text-books] are mostly misleading. I get mad with 
myself when I think I have believed what was so learnedly set out in 
them. There are more frauds in science than anywhere else. 
Take a whole pile of them and you will find uncertainty, if not intposi- 
MoHf in half of what they state as scientific truth. They have time and 
again set down experiments as done by them, curious, out-of-the-way ex- 
periments, that they never did, and upon which they have founded so- 
called scientific truths. I have been thrown off my track often by them, 
and for months at a time. You see a great name, and you believe it. 
Try the experiment yourself, and you find the result altogether different. 
. . . I tell you I 'd rather know nothing about a thing in science, nine 
times out of ten, than what the books would tell me — for practical 
purposes, for applied science, the best science, the only science, I 'd 
rather take the thing up and go through with it myself. I 'd find out 
more about it than any one could tell me, and I 'd be sure of what I 
know. That 's the thing. Professor this or that will controvert you 
out of the books, and prove out of the books it can 't be so, though 
you have it right in the hollow of your hand all the time and could 
break his spectacles with it." 

Thus it is that these authorities have been weighed 
in the balances and found wanting. This is a marvelous 
age, an age of unsurpassed invention and discovery of 
truth, but it is not the ne plus ultra of human wisdom 
• — if we are to take any lessons from the past ages. 

The wave theory of sound, which has been regarded 



1 86 ADDRESSES OF 

as a settled scientific fact since the days of Pythagoren^ 
is now vigorously attacked, and the adherents to the 
orthodox ground will have to rally their forces and re- 
consider their proofs, if they save the theory fro^m 
slumbering among the follies of the past. 

In the past few years the world has been startled 
by the bold theory of evolution, as advocated by Dar- 
win, Haeckel, Huxley and others. Many have felt un- 
easy about the foundations of our faith. But such 
alarm is all premature. The glaring contradictions of 
one another of these modern apostles of a ** gospel 
of dirt," and their self-stultification, are enough to con- 
vince any thoughtful reader, that if the race has not 
developed from apes, a few of them bear marks of 
descent from asses ! The credulity of this class of men 
is simply marvelous. They can believe that a moneron 
can be developed into a man, but can not believe in a 
miracle ! Their wonderful development of a moneron 
into a man terminates with the boundary line of time, 
and thus the ne plus ultra is reached of their ** infinite 
progression !" 

In order to a proper appreciation of the present life, 
we must be deeply impressed with the nature of that 
which lies beyond. No one can well spend the present • 
life who does not spend it in view of the life to come. 
Man must properly appreciate himself before he can 
live in harmonious relations with his being. No man 
can have that appreciation of himself essential to a 
true life, who believes that his ancestors were monerons 
and mud-turtles ! 

While there are many striking resemblances between 
animals and man, just such as we should expect to find 
from the hand of the same Creator, who began farthest 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 8/ 

from himself and worked to his own divine model, yet 
there are striking differentia which demand profound 
consideration. Animals come into the world with the 
knowledge of their ancestors. The beaver knows just 
what its ancestors knew before the flood. It is born 
into the world with that transmitted knowledge. Its 
posterity will know no more during the millenium. On 
the contrary, man is born into the world an intellectual 
blank. However wise his parents, he inherits not one 
idea. He knows absolutely nothing except what he 
learns — learns from teachers and by experience. It 
would be incomprehensibly strange if man in his devel- 
opment from a moUusk, should accumulate inherited 
knowledge till he reaches the ne plus ultra of terrestrial 
life, and then by a sudden break in the chain of nature 
lose it all, and come into the world a born fool ! ! This 
would be "development," ** natural selection," and 
the ** survival of the fittest, " with a vengeance ! Here 
is a chasm between man and the lower animals, made 
by the hand of God, that human wisdom can never 
bridge. 

In his intellectual, moral and spiritual development, 
man starts from zero. God has thus ordained it. He 
is dependent on progression for all that he is and 
all that he is to be. God simply gives him a start in 
this world, \vith the numberless ages of eternity before 
him for infinite advancement. The idea, therefore, 
that " death ends all " nips in the bud this grand con- 
ception of man's greatness, and blights forever that 
which is noblest and truest in his nature. To regard 
this life as the ne plus ultra of man's development, is to 
charge nature with a freak of folly, and an abortion in 
her best works. Men may laud human virtue for 



1 88 ADDRESSES OF 

human virtue's sake ; but if man is but the moth of a 
day, the fire-fly whose phosphorescent Hght flashes for 
a moment and then goes out in eternal night, his vir- 
tues are but the tales of the hour that have their value 
in the telling. If this life is all there is of man, then 
he is the most unmeaning portion of the creation of 
God. There is for him no perfection, no satisfying of 
his inherent wants, and the whole of his existence is a 
sham and a fraud. As Young has beautifully said : 

"How poor, how rich, how abject, how august. 
How complicate, how wonderful, is man! 
How passing wonder He who made him such ! 
Who centered in our make such strange extremes, 
From different natures marvelously mixed. 
Connection exquisite of distant worlds ! 
Distinguished link in being's endless chain ! 
Midway from nothing to the Deity ! 
A beam etherial, sullied, and absorbed ! 
Though sullied and dishonored, still divine! 
Dim miniature of greatness absolute ! 
An heir of glory ! a frail child of dust ! 
Helpless immortal ! insect infinite ! 
A worm ! a God ! — I tremble at myself, 
And in myself am lost. At home, a stranger. 
Thought wanders up and down, surprised, aghast, 
And wondering at her own. How reason reels ! 
O, what a miracle to man is man ! 
Triumphantly distressed! What joy ! what dread ! 
Alternately transported and alarmed ! 
What can preserve my life? or what destroy? 
An angel's arm can 't snatch me from the grave; 
Legions of angels can 't confine me there. 

It is only when we thus look beyond this life, and 
contemplate his relation to the Deity, that we realize 
the true dignity of man. 

It is natural that you should desire power — power to 
bless the race and bring it nearer to God. Do not be 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 89 

discouraged if you do not find this power clothed in 
the world's pomp and parade. The most God-like 
power comes not in this way. God works by quiet 
forces that man may scorn but can not equal. Behold 
that mountain of ice in the polar sea held by the relent- 
less grip of a winter's frost. All the engineering 
power of man could not shake it upon its throne. All 
the locomotives in the world could not move it an 
inch. But nature unveils her smihng face when the 
springtime comes, the sun sheds upon it his gentle 
rays, noiseless as the grave, too mild to hurt an 
infant's flesh, and soon these mountains of ice relax 
their grip and glide avvay into the great deep ! This is 
power. This power you may possess, and should 
strive to possess, through the gentle forces of a regen- 
erated nature, till the quiet influences you exert for 
God will pass beyond the bounds of time and be ex- 
pended on a shoreless eternity. 

In conclusion, then, let me urge you to live for 
eternity, and let the life that now is be with reference 
to that which is to come. Then will you progress 
from the low plane of our terrestrial sphere to associa- 
tion with God, and eternity alone will mark the ne plus 
ultra in intellectual and spiritual development toward 
the Divine Being. 



PART III.— SELECTIONS. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

T. CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD. 

" Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the 
"world " (John i. 29) 

The New Testament presents a many-sided view of 
Christ. From each point of view he appears in a new 
relation, and we study him in a different character. 
We can see but one side of a mountain by approaching 
it from only one direction. We must view it from 
-every point from which it presents a different aspect, 
before we have seen it as it is. So we should study 
Christ in the many characters in which He is introduced 
upon the sacred page, that we may understand more of 
the many dear relations He sustains to us. The more 
we know of Him in His various relations, the more we 
will love Him and the better we will serve Him. 

We therefore purpose a number of articles under 
the general title of *' New Testament Views of Christ." 
They will appear, we trust, with as much regularity as 
the press of other matters will permit. 

After the temptation, Jesus returned to where John 

was baptizing, and began the work of gathering about 

Him His apostles. On different occasions, as Jesus 
190 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I9I 

moved among the multitudes during this visit, John 
pointed Him out as the Lamb of God. And John said, 
*'l knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize in 
water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt 
see the Spirit descending and abiding upon him, the 
same is he that baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I 
have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of 
God " (John i. 33, 34). Both before and after this 
statement, John calls Him the Lamb of God. John 
knew that He was to make the Messiah manifest to 
Israel by His baptism, for God had told him so. He 
did not know Jesus to be the Christ till after His bap- 
tism, yet he shrank back from the idea of baptizing him, 
and pleaded his unworthiness. He was worthy, and 
specially appointed of God, to m.ake manifest the Mes- 
siah, but gave way under a sense of unworthiness at 
the thought of baptizing his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth ! 
What a flood of light does this pour upon the private 
life of the Son of Mary! John knew Jesus as a 7;m7t ; 
and while he doubtless had hopes that He was the long- 
promised One, he did not know it, and could not base 
his refusal of baptism on that ground. John was bap- 
tizing for the remission of sins, and required those 
whom he baptized to confess their sins, and his knowl- 
edge of the spotless life of Jesus caused him to shrink 
at the thought of administering to Him such a baptism. 
Thus impressed with the purity and innocence of Jesus, 
it is not strange that he should call Him the Lamb of 
God. 

But innocence is not the only prominent feature in 
contemplating Jesus as a lamb. The idea of sacrifice 
to which innocence and purity are essential has pre- 
eminence. The first accepted offering on the earth, of 



192 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

which we have an account, was a lamb. It was offered 
in faith; hence by divine direction. That Abel saw 
anything in it beyond an act of simple obedience to God 
in an arbitrary appointment, we have no reason to be- 
lieve. He did what God directed, and because it was 
directed. This is the essential element of obedience in 
all ages, regardless of the thing required. Nothing 
else can be the ''obedience of faith." 

What different conceptions had God and Abel of 
that sacrifice ! Abel saw in it only a * ' firstling of his 
flock." God saw in it His own Son — ''the Lamb of 
God that taketh away the sin of the world. " Not only 
so, but on this account was it directed. The fact that 
this was not revealed to Abel, shows that God intends 
us to obey Him in what He directs, without being con- 
cerned about the reasons He has for the requirement. 
He who sees the end from the beginning makes the 
first in execution conform to that which is to be last. 
Hence, the first act of worship, and every subsequent 
act, from the divine point of view, harmonizes with the 
perfection which in the fullness of times, was given us 
in Christ Jesus. The lamb of Abel borrowed all its 
value and significance from the Lamb of God. While 
we are enabled to see this through the development of 
the scheme of redemption, he was not ; and the fact 
that his act of simple obedience in ignorance of God's 
far-seeing purposes is recorded as an example for us, is 
of unspeakable value to the child of faith. 

During the four thousand years in which God was 
preparing the world for Christ, both in patriarchal and 
Jewish worship, a lamb without spot or blemish was 
the most prominent offering for sin. In every case the 
offering was made as directed, and when made, the 



FRANK G. ALLEN. I93 

worshiper was assured that his sin was forgiven. Christ 
is our sin-offering — the Lamb of God that takes away 
our sins — and we must present Him before God as di- 
vinely directed. We may build no strange fire on 
God's altars. We may substitute nothing for Christ as 
an offering for sin, and no ways of our own for God's 
way, in His presentation. 

In viewing Christ as the Lamb of God — the Lamb 
slain from the foundation of the world — the prominent 
feature of His saving relationship to us is His blood. 
Hence we are redeemed, not with silver and gold and 
perishable things, ''but with the precious blood of 
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 
As a Lamb, Christ is sin-atoning. His power to save 
is not in the innocence of His life, but the merits of 
His death. The sacrifice of an innocent life is 
God's wisdom and power to save the world. Let us 
remember it was for us He was led as a lamb to the 
slaughter ; that our sins were laid upon Him ; that He 
was bruised for ou? iniquities ; that He bore our sins in 
His bosom on the tree ; that by His stripes we are 
healed ; that in His innocent life and sacrificial death, 
we behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin 
of the world. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

II. — CHRIST THE BREAD OF LIFE. 

"I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat the manna in the 
wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which cometh down out 
of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living 
bread which came down out of heaven ; if any man eat of this bread, 
he will live forever; yea, and the bread which I will give is my flesh, 
for the life of the world" (John vi. 48-51). 

When the Israelites came out of Egypt and started 
on their wilderness journey to the promised land, they 
found themselves without sustenance. The land fur- 
nished no supplies. In this respect they were cut off 
from earthly resources. In their emergency they cried 
unto the Lord, and God gave them bread from heaven. 
Each day they gathered the necessary supply. The 
amount for the Sabbath was gathered the day preced- 
ing. Beyond this there was no collection for future 
use. An effort to save it proved a disgusting failure. 
Forty years did the daily supply of manna fail not, till 
they reached the land that God had promised. 

The bread on which God fed His people from the 
land of bondage to the land of Canaan was a type of 
Christ. This is asserted by both Paul and the Saviour. 
As such it is worthy of careful study. 

I. The Israelites were wholly dependent on the 
daily bread which God gave. This was a want which 

the world could not supply. They must feed upon the 

194 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 1 95 

heaven-supplied food or die. So is every one thus de- 
pendent on the bread of Hfe. The world can not sup- 
ply the wants of the child of God. He needs a daily 
food which the world does not produce. The world is 
to him a spiritual desert. He can not look to it to meet 
the wants of his spiritual nature. Being born from 
above, he has to live from above. When he seeks to 
gratify the cravings of his carnal nature by turning 
back to the flesh-pots of Egypt, he languishes and dies. 

Be it remembered that thib bread of life is Christ. 
It is not some theory about Him. It is not some system 
of theology of man's formulation. Men may feed upon 
systems and theories till their souls are dwarfed and 
starved. Such feeding makes partisans and cold-blooded 
sectarians, without imparting divine life to the soul. 
We must come directly to Christ. Through His holy 
word we must study Him, assimilate our lives to His, 
feed upon Him as the bread from heaven, and drink in 
of His gracious spirit. The world took knowledge of 
the saints of old, that they had been with Jesus. And 
so it may now easily decide as to those of such holy 
companionship. 

2. Christ is the bread of Hfe. As such He has to be 
appropriated. There is no virtue in bread to sustain 
life until it is appropriated and assimilated to the sys- 
tem. Men may starve within reach of abundance. God 
suppHes the bread of life, but He does not compel men 
to eat it. They are urged to eat and live, but they 
may refuse and die. Oh, the millions in our land who 
are starving for the bread of life, when it is offered them 
day by day ! Unless we eat the body of the Son of 
God we have no life. Our salvation, therefore, depends 
upon eating. Yet there is no virtue in the act of eating. 



196 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

The virtue is in the thing eaten. It is not putting- on 
your coat that makes you warm, but the coat after it is 
on. Faith is a condition of salvation ; but there is no 
power to save in beHeving. The saving virtue is in the 
thing beheved. So we may substitute nothing for that 
which God has given. We must eat the bread which 
God provides, else all our eating will be in vain. 

3. It is well understood by all classes that the wants 
of the physical man need to be daily supplied. To 
meet these demands, is the chief concern of the great 
mass of humanity. Observe that young man. He is 
in the vigor of robust manhood. He has just enjoyed 
a night's refreshing sleep and a hearty breakfast. His 
system seems to be overflowing with an excess of vital- 
ity. He goes forth to his work boastful of his strength. 
But how many hours is it till nature cries aloud for the 
replenishing of his strength? How long can he live on 
the boastful supply of his physical manhood ? A few 
days finds him as helpless as a babe. So essential is 
physical food to physical life. 

Nor is spiritual food less essential to spiritual life. 
As new-born babes we need the unadulterated milk of 
the word, that we may grow thereby. As men and 
Women, we need the strong meat adapted to our matur- 
ity. The great mistake is in trying to live the spirit- 
ual life without spiritual food. The strong men in 
Christ are the good feeders. Those who feed upon the 
bread of heaven will develop in that which is heavenly. 
No man has religion enough at the start to take him 
through life, unless he dies early. The foolishness of 
the five foolish virgins consisted in their not taking an 
additional supply of oil. So it is now with every one 
who does not daily replenish his supply of spirituality. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. igj 

He who tries to live without communion with God — in 
reading, in praying, in meditation and obedience to the 
divine will — will end in shameful failure. 

Christian character is a growth, not a divine impar- 
tation. God does not give spiritual strength in an arbi- 
trary way. He provides the means to that end. If we 
use them, strength results. If we neglect them, we die 
in feebleness. The means in the figure before us is the 
bread of life, and the bread of life is Christ. There is 
an absolute necessity, therefore, for feeding upon Him. 
From Him all spiritual strength is derived. He is the 
source of all life. He said to His disciples : '* Without 
me, ye can do nothing." As the branch draws its' 
nourishment and fruit-bearing qualities from the vine, 
so we draw all spirituality and fruitfulness from Christ. 
We are fruitful in proportion as we abide in the Vine ; 
and we are strong in proportion to our feeding on the 
bread of life. 

4. God permitted Israel to gather manna for one 
day only at a time. So in teaching His disciples to 
pray, the Saviour said : * ' Give us this day our daily 
bread." Our bread of life is a never-faihng supply. 
There was no need of laying up manna, for God gave 
a fresh and abundant supply every morning. This daily 
supply never ceased till their pilgrimage was over. Of 
this they had assurance. Hence an attempt to lay up 
a supply for future use was to distrust the God of their 
fathers. The true bread of heaven is as unfailing as 
was the typical bread of the wilderness. God's people 
will ever have an abundant supply of that bread of 
which, if a man eats, he shall never hunger. Hence 
the Saviour says : ' * Lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world 



198 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

5. The world has been greatly concerned about food 
for six thousand years. The gratification of the appe- 
tite has both blessed and cursed the race. Life has ever 
depended upon food ; hence food has been the chief 
concern of man. During the history of the world the 
race has been ignorant of the processes of digestion 
and assimilation. They have known nothing of the 
chemistry of this source of life. They have gone on 
from age to age building up their bodies by taking food, 
wholly ignorant of the process by which it was done. 
The value of the thing eaten has never depended on a 
knowledge of the process by which it was assimilated. 
We thank God that it is thus with the bread of life. 
We may never expect to comprehend the ** mystery of 
godliness" in this life. Just how the bread of life en- 
ables us to live forever, we are not concerned to know. 
It is enough for us to know that it is so. Let us, then, 
appropriate this rich provision of God's grace, and the 
blessing will be ours. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

III. CHRIST THE WATER OF LIFE. 

''Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of 
this water shall thirst again : but whosoever drinketh of the water that 
I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that T shall give him 
shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life " 
(John iv. 13, 14). 

"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and 
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink " 
(John vii. 37). 

" And did all drink the same spiritual drink : for they drank of a 
spiritual rock that followed them : and the rock was Christ" (I. Cor. 
X. 4). 

Twice was a rock smitten by Moses in the wilder- 
ness to supply the Israelites with water. The first was 
at Rephidim, in the wilderness of Sin, during the* first 
year of their Exodus, before they came to Mount Sinai. 
The second was at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, 
in the fortieth year of the Exodus. It is evident that 
the apostle refers to the first of these, though we can 
hardly think, with most commentators known to us, that 
he does so exclusively. The fact that the rock fol- 
lowed them, as a type of Christ, in their wilderness life, 
demands that it be from the beginning, rather than the 
end, of their journey. And the fact that many who 
drank of it fell in the wilderness, requires the same con- 
clusion. But for reasons yet to appear, we think the 

two are considered as one. The miracle was in all respects 

199 



200 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

the same in the second as in the first. There was the 
same dependence for Hfe on the second as the first. 
There was the same necessity that the second rock or 
stream should follow them as there was of the first ; for 
they were yet a long way from Canaan, with a waterless 
desert before them. We can, therefore, see no reason 
why the first should be a type of Christ and not the 
second. 

Was it the stream or the rock which followed the 
Israelites ? Paul says the rock. But commentators 
seem generally to agree that the **rock" is here put 
by metonymy for the water of the rock, Barnes says, 
" It would be absurd to suppose that the rock that was 
smitten by Moses literally followed them in the wilder- 
ness." Just why it is more ^'absurd" to suppose the 
rock followed them, than the stream from a stationary 
fountain at Horeb, we are wholly unable to see. Let 
us look at the facts and probabilities in the case. 

We must keep in view the important fact, as men- 
tioned in the last chapter, that these people were 
dependent on God. They had seen the mighty hand of 
God in their delivery, and now they were to be taught 
dependence on Him, as the only source of life. They 
had, therefore, to be sustained by miraculous food and 
miraculous drink. The country supplied neither food 
nor water. The miraculous supply of water was as 
great a necessity as that of bread. For two or three 
millions of people, with their flocks and herds, a large 
stream, even a small river, would be required. It is 
also true that their cattle had to have food, as well as 
themselves. Just how this was furnished, we are not 
told. Here is a large field for conjecture. It is gen- 
erally held that the river continued to flow from a 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 201 

stationary source at Horeb, and that it irrigated the 
country in its following- of the people, and thus caused 
vegetation for the flocks and herds. But in the fortieth 
year they are again found without water. Why was 
this ? What had become of the river that had followed 
them from the first year, if it was the river, and not 
the rock, that followed them ? On this point we can not 
refrain from quoting Macknight and Barnes, as exam- 
ples of how learned commentators, led by ''a theory, 
sometimes drop their readers into a perfect abyss of 
darkness. Macknight says: *' For as Wall observes, 
from Horeb, which was a high mountain, there may 
have been a descent to the sea ; and the Israelites dur- 
ing the thirty-seven years of their journeying from 
Mount Sinai may have gone by those tracts of country 
in which the waters from Horeb could follow them, till 
in the thirty-ninth year of the Exodus they came to 
Ezion-gaber (Num. xxxiii. 36), which was a part of the 
Red Sea a great way down the Arabian side, where it 
is supposed the waters from Horeb went into that sea." 
Barnes says: "Mount Horeb was higher than the 
adjacent country, and the water that thus gushed from 
the rock, instead of collecting into a pool and becom- 
ing stagnant, would flow off in the direction of the sea. 
The sea to which it would naturally flow would be the 
Red Sea. The Israelites doubtless, in their journeyings, 
would be influenced by the natural direction of the 
water, or w^ould not wander far from it, as it was daily 
needful for the supply of their wants. At the end of 
thirty-seven years we find the Israelites at Ezion-gaber, 
a seaport on the eastern branch of the Red Sea, where 
the waters probably flowed into the sea (Num. xxxiii. 
36). In the fortieth year of their departure from 



202 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

Egypt, they left this place to go into Canaan, by the 
country of Edom, and were immediately in distress 
again by the want of water." 

These comments involve several objectionable fea- 
tures, (l) The Israelites were guided in their course 
by the pillar of cloud and fire ; not by the stream of 
water on its course to the sea. (2) Paul says the 
rock followed them ; not that they followed the river. 
(3) We can not allow that when God sets out to Work a 
miracle, He is defeated by natural causes. The idea 
that the river ran into the sea, and left the children of 
Israel without water, just because the situation would 
naturally lead to that result, is to let go the miracle and 
have God defeated, because the surroundings are not 
favorable ! The idea that God could cause a river to 
flow from a flinty rock, and then have to leave it to 
seek its natural way to the sea, leaving His people 
destitute when the surface of the country would be in 
the way of its natural flow, is equaled only by admit- 
ting that God created the heavens and the earth, but 
could not give sight to the blind or call Lazarus out of 
the grave. We, therefore, repeat the question. If the 
river followed the people, what became of it when they 
came into the wilderness of Zin? 

On the hypothesis that it was the rock which fol- 
lowed them, just as Paul says it was, there is nothing 
unreasonable in the supposition that for some cause, 
not given, God withheld the flow of water to chastise 
them for their wickedness, as He did in other ways, and 
make them realize their dependence. As favoring 
this idea, when they were destitute the second time, 
and cried unto Moses in their distress, God told him to 
gather the people together and speak unto the rock. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 203 

Not only was there a suitable rock present for the 
second river of water, but it seemed to be a particular 
rock. Hence designated " ///^ rock. " Our conclusion is, 
therefore, that the two rocks were one ; that it followed 
the Israelites during their entire journey to Canaan, 
supplying the people with the fresh out-gushings of its 
crystal stream. That rock was typical of Christ, and 
the blessings of Christ are never stale or stagnant, as 
the water from a fountain in Horeb would have been, 
after winding its sluggish way through the parched 
desert of Arabia. 

"That rock was Christ." That is, it was a type of 
Him. All those transactions were typical. " Now these 
things happened unto them by way of types ; and they 
were written for our admonition." 

*' A dry and thirsty land where no water is," well 
represents this world to one who has not an ever-present 
Saviour as the fountain of the water of life. As the 
Israelites would have perished without the crystal 
flow from the flinty rock, so perishes the world without 
Christ. There is no appetite more distressing than 
thirst. There is nothing more delightful than the cool- 
ing draught to the parched throat. Oh, to those who 
thus •' thirst after righteousness," how delightful it is 
to be '* filled"! *'As the heart panteth after the 
water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." 
Only the thirsty can appreciate drink; so only those 
who first feel the need of a Saviour can experience the 
joy of salvation. Not only shall the thirsty soul be 
satisfied that drinks of the water of life, but it shall 
** become within him a well of water springing up unto 
eternal life." This refreshing and ever-present fountain, 
of life flows for all. ** If any man thirst, let him come 



204 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

unto me, and drink." To slake one's thirst at this 
fountain, is a foretaste of the river of life that flows 
from beneath the throne in the eternal city of God. 
Many who drank of the typical water of the wilderness, 
fell under the displeasure of God, and died short of the 
promised land. Hence we should be careful to live 
ever near to the water of Hfe, that our thirsty souls 
may be continually supplied, and our strength renewed. 
Only by being constantly refreshed can we be saved 
from perishing in the wilderness and kept unto the land 
of God beyond. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

IV. — CHRIST THE SON OF GOD. 

«*Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. xvi. i6). 

"Wtosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God 
abideth in him and he in God" (I. John iv. 15). 

" And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth 
that Jesus is the Son of God?" (I. John v. 5). 

In one sense all men are sons of God. In a much 
dearer sense all Christians are sons and daughters of 
the Almighty. But the relationship of Christ to the 
Father is infinitely above this. He is the Son of God. 
God is His Father by direct production, without the 
agency of a human father. The same divine power 
that can create life through the agency of man, can 
create it without such agency. Hence there is nothing 
to stumble over in the idea of the miraculous concep- 
tion, to one who fully accepts the God of the Bible in 
the character in which He is revealed as a divine creator. 
To accept God as the creator of heaven and earth, and 
then stagger at His performance of any miracle is a 
logical absurdity. 

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God in the high 
sense that involved equality with the Father. He said : 
"I and the Father are one." On account of this rela- 
tionship, '' He thought it not robbery to be equal with 
God." His enemies understood that this equality was 

20s 



206 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

involved in His claim ; hence they charged Him with 
blasphemy in making Himself equal with God. 

This was a high claim on the part of the Nazarene. 
He claimed to be more than a man. When some 
said that He was John, or Elijah, or Jeremiah, or 
some one of the prophets, they underestimated Him 
according to His claim. The greatest prophet, or in- 
spired teacher, that had ever appeared among men, 
even if raised from the dead as the special messenger of 
God to His people, could not meet the demands in- 
volved in the claim of Jesus, that He was the Son of 
God. 

This high claim had to be sustained by two distinct 
lines of testimony — miracles and a sinless flife. The 
purpose of miracles is to establish the claims of the 
miracle-worker and to glorify God. The miracles of 
Jesus establish His divine mission and claim to the 
Messiahship. No man could do the miracles He did 
** except God be with him ;" and God would not be 
with one who was advocating false claims. The ene- 
mies of Jesus understood this; hence they said: ''God 
heareth not sinners." Miracles are the substratum of 
the foundation underlying our faith. 

While the divine claims of Jesus are attested 
by His miracles, the evidence is crowned by His sub- 
lime character. His life is itself among the most 
woaderful of miracles. As a child of poverty and a 
son of toil, He lived thirty years among men. When 
He afterwards claimed to be the Son of God, He had 
many bitter enemies. They persecuted Him even unto 
death, and yet not one of them ever pointed to an act 
of His private life as inconsistent with, or unworthy of, 
His divine claim. This simple fact .speaks volumes as 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 20/ 

to the purity of His life. The world has contained 
but one such. The very life which His claims require 
is the life revealed on the sacred page. 

Infidels have ordinarily contented themselves with 
mere negations. They seem not to realize the fact that 
in denying some things they are logically bound to ac- 
count for others. If we deny the claim of Jesus that 
He is the Son of God, then we have to account for His 
miracles, His life, the disposal of His entombed body, 
and the establishment and development of His king- 
dom. These are facts. As such they have to be ac- 
counted for. On the hypothesis that Jesus is the Christ, 
all difficulty vanishes. On any other, it is more than 
the world has yet been able to m.eet. Skeptics laud the 
character of Jesus as a model of purity, such as the 
world has never elsewhere found, and yet deny the 
claim on which was based His mission to men and on 
which He built His church. How the establishment 
of a religion upon a known falsehood can har- 
monize with a life of faultless purity, they do not 
pretend to tell us, for it is a palpable absurdity. 
How His disciples could testify on a point of fact in re- 
gard to which they could not be mistaken, and surren- 
der all worldly position and comfort, and life itself, to 
establish a known falsehood in the hearts of men, in 
which they — the witnesses — could have no personal in- 
terest, they leave in the Egyptian darkness characteris- 
tic of their system. How can he account for American 
history and American institutions who denies the ex- 
istence of Washington, or claims that he was a disrep- 
utable impostor ? How, then, shall he account for the 
history and institutions of civilization who denies to 
Jesus of Nazareth existence as a man of that age and 



208 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

country, or. makes Him a base deceiver and vile im- 
postor ? 

That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is the 
fundamental, pivotal fact in the Christian religion. It 
underlies every other feature of the Christian system. 
On it turn the value and significance of every other 
item of the faith. Everything takes position with 
regard to this, and derives its value from it. With 
this, all else stands by divine appointment, and bears 
" the seal of heaven. Without it, the whole system is 
but as the chaff which the wind driveth away. 

When the proposition is estabHshed that Jesus is 
the Son of God, every other feature of the Christian 
system rests upon authority. Nothing else has to be 
proved as this does. Before establishing this proposi- 
tion, the word of Jesus settles nothing. After its es- 
tablishment, it settles everything. When we accept Him 
as the Christ, we accept all else on His authority. 
Hence He says, ''Why do you call me Lord, Lord, 
and do not the things which I say?" "■ All authority 
hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go 
ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptiz- 
ing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Spirit." The making and baptizing 
of disciples rests upon the authority of Jesus, and that 
authority is based upon His Messiahship. So of every 
other item of the Christian system of faith. 

The great inconsistency and consequent weakness 
. of the religious world, is in not accepting the simple 
authority of Jesus as conclusive and wholly sufficient 
on any matter on which He has expressed the divine 
mind. As the Son of God and coronated Lord of 
lords, His authority is supreme, and His word is law. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2O9 

What He says is to be accepted as infallibly true, and 
the end of all controversy. Whatever He directs is to 
be done, simply because He directs it. Whatever else 
we may consider a corroborative reason, the direction 
of Jesus alone is to determine our action. Only this 
can be the obedience of faith. And in re-gard to what 
He directs, there can be no compromise. The King 
speaks to be obeyed, not to be argued with. It is His 
prerogative to command ; ours to obey. 

Jesus made His authority the controlling principle 
in His religion. Where this is maintained, the religion 
of Christ is preserved in its purity. Where it is disre- 
garded, anything follows that the tastes and follies of 
men may demand. The religion of Christ is pure or 
corrupt in proportion as His authority is observed or 
ignored. 

The authority of Jesus can not be separated from 
His appointments. His entire authority is embodied 
in each of His appointments. Hence he who- disregards 
an appointment of Jesus Christ, disregards His author- 
ity. And he who disregards His authority, ignores His 
Lordship. The man who deliberately refuses to do 
what Christ directs, ignores the authority of his Lord, 
and dethrones the Son of the living God. Yet how 
much of this do we see among men ! Not only in the 
world, but in the church as well. It seems strange 
that one should make a profession of the religion of 
Christ, and yet thus ignore His Lordship. The author- 
ity of Jesus against a life of indifference in the church, 
of non-attendance, of want of cooperation in the work 
of the Lord, against carnality, pleasure-loving, worldli- 
ness, the lusts of the flesh, want of spirituality, and 
such like, is as direct and positive as that against re- 



2IO SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

jecting the gospel of Christ ; and yet how many church 
members, all over our land, are disregarding the au- 
thority of Jesus in these matters. Those who make a 
profession of religion and live in the church without 
continuing to honor the Lord Jesus by regarding His 
authority and complying with His will, would better 
have never known the way of life. The authority of 
Jesus follows us to the grave, and is never relaxed for 
a day. His will, not ours, is to rule in our life. Our 
desires, however strong, are to be subordinated to the 
mind of Him who gave His life for ours, and said, ''all 
authority in heaven and on earth is given unto me." 

It is the height of inconsistency, therefore, to exalt 
the name of Jesus in words and professions, and speak 
lightly of, or disregard .any one of His appointments. 
It is not only inconsistent ; it is disloyal and wicked. 
This is the great stumbling-block in our way to the in- 
dorsement of Mr. Moody and such men. We care not 
what else he may be, we can indorse no man who tears 
in two the commission of Jesus Christ. He who refuses 
to "speak as the oracles of God speak," in order to 
promote his work, is not doing the work that God 
would have him do. We can not honor Christ 
without honoring His teaching, and we can not honor 
His teaching by withholding a part of it from those in- 
quiring the way of eternal life. We can honor Jesus 
as the Son of God only by declaring His whole counsel, 
and yielding submissively in all things to His divine au- 
thoritv. 

This acceptance of Jesus as an infallible teacher, as 
one whose every word is to be believed simply because 
He said it, and whose every direction is to be observed 
simply because He directs it, whose spirit is to be pos- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 211 

sessed and cultivated to the transforming of the Hfe, 
till we grow into the divine image and become par- 
takers of the divine nature, is all involved in the ''good 
confession" : Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living 
God. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

V. — CHRIST THE SON OF MAN. 

"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests ^ 
but the Son of man hath not vi^here to lay his head '' (Matt. viii. 20). 

" Who do men say that the Son of man is?" (Matt. xvi. 13). 

♦* And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
so must the Son of man be lifted up ; that vs^hosoever believeth may ia 
him have eternal life" (John iii. 14). 

It is a matter of profound ' gratitude that our 
Saviour was a man. "The Son of man," as well as 
" the Son of God," was essential to His great work of 
bringing salvation to the race. In one sense we are all 
sons of man, but not as He was. He was not simply 
the Son of Mary and her ancestors. He was the Son 
of humanity. He was equally akin to the race. He 
touches humanity at every angle and on every side. 
While He was the Son of David according to the flesh, 
He is the kinsman of the race as a partaker of our 
common nature. ** Since the children are sharers in 
flesh and blood, he also himself, in like manner, partook 
of the same." He ignored all accidental relationships 
closer than this shared by the race. The members of 
His own household obtained not a blessing which He 
did not as freely bestow on others. The fact that He 
did not manifest greater partiality toward His mother 
has been a matter of comment. The simple fact is, 
that the relationship with which we are concerned, and 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 213 

of which the inspired record treats, is to the race ; 
hence it is not concerned about His personal family 
affections. His brothers and sisters and mothers are 
those who hear His word and keep it. 

The world has ever had too far-away ideas of God. 
It has contemplated God at a great distance. It puts 
Him beyond the stars. Indeed, the stars fade away 
from view in the distance behind us, as we ascend in 
imagination to the dwelling-place of the Most High. 
The world can never be suitably impressed with God's 
presence while it holds Him at a distance. He can 
never be sensibly near unto us while we keep Him be- 
yond the stars. Nor can we be influenced by the idea 
of His presence till we learn that ''he is not far from 
each one of us." 

God tried to impress His people anciently with the 
idea of His presence by various visible manifestations. 
Abraham realized time and again that God was his 
present companion and friend. When Jacob saw the 
ladder reaching to heaven, and angels ascending and 
descending on it, he said, *' Surely, the Lord is in this 
place." And when Moses drew near to see the burn- 
ing bush, a voice from its flame demanded the removal 
of the sandals from his feet, for the ground on which 
he stood was holy ground. 

God impressed Israel with the awfulness of His 
presence as a Lawgiver, whom the nations were to 
honor, by His voice from Mount Sinai which ''shook 
the earth." The glorious manifestation of God's 
presence at the tabernacle, in the midst of the camp of 
Israel, impressed them with the fact that the God 
of their fathers was with them ; that He was in their 
midst ; that He had not forgotten His covenant ; and 



214 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

that He would be with them to sustain them in every 
emergency till the end. With all this, they often for- 
got God and went astray. What would they have 
done without it ? 

In the person of Jesus, God perfected the divine 
purpose of bringing Himself into a realized nearness 
to the human family. He clothed Himself in our 
humanity, and became one with us. We are thus en- 
abled to look upon Him, to contemplate Him, not as a 
great, self-existing Spirit, incomprehensible and awful, 
but as a man. Jesus was a man; and " in him dwell- 
eth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He is 
God manifest in flesh. And as God is thus manifest, 
would He have us apprehend Him. Just, therefore, as 
we can appreciate the nearness of Jesus as a loving and 
sympathizing kinsman, may we appreciate the nearness 
of His Father and our God. 

It is evident that men need a God to whom they can 
get sensibly near. There is no profit in the worship of a 
God of abstractions. There is in it no food for the 
soul. What is there to satisfy the languishing soul in 
a prayer to the ** Great Unknown and Unknowable "? 
They that come to God must believe that He is. And 
that *'is" is a personal divine being, into whose arms 
we ma)^ cast our helpless selves, and on whose bosom 
we may pillow our weary head ; instead of a great, be- 
wildering, incomprehensible abstraction, ** without 
body, parts, or passions." 

We are brought into a sacred nearness with God in 
the life of Jesus. From His bed in the manger to His 
rest in a borrowed grave, we have a life of abject pov- 
erty. He was the friend and companion of the poor. 
The world is full of poverty, and ever will be. But the 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 21 5 

poorest of every age and country find a companion and 
friend, of like sufferings with themselves, in the person 
of Jesus. The cares and sorrows of life, resulting from 
poverty, of which the world knows most as a daily 
burden, were fully realized by Him ; and in it all He 
is a deeply sympathetic friend. 

Jesus was a man of labor. The hands so often ex- 
tended to bless humanity, and through which the cruel 
nails were driven, were hardened by daily toil. He 
never did a day's work with which His employers found 
fault. Long after He had built mansions in the skies 
for them that love Him, were the houses of His own 
workmanship standing in GaHlee ; but when He laid 
aside His tools to do the work of His Father, no man 
ever pointed to an earthly house and said, * * This job is 
not in harmony with His claims to be the Son of God." 
He knew what it was to be tired and hungry. He 
doubtless knew the meaning of hard work and low 
wages. It follows, therefore, that every son of toil, 
every burdened and weary life, has for a gracious Re- 
deemer and providential Saviour one who was *'a man 
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." 

Jesus was a man of temptation. He was tempted 
as no other man was ever tempted. The devil is the 
author of temptation, and he had a peculiar interest in 
the temptation of Jesus. Through temptation comes 
sin. Sin is the yielding of the will under temptation to 
do wrong. The devil had a special interest in inducing 
Jesus to sin. He was the representative of the race. 
Their fortunes were all involved in His. The consum- 
mation of His work as a Redeemer required a sinless 
life. Hence if Jesus could be induced to yield to 
temptation, the world's hope of salvation was forever 



21$ SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

gone. It is evident, therefore, that the devil exhausted 
his resources to accompHsh that end. Consequently 
He was '' tempted in all points like as we are," and in- 
finitely beyond what we know of temptation. And 
He who withstood Satan in every onset has promised 
to be with us to the end, and suffer us not to be 
tempted above what we are able, if we only keep Him 
between us and the enemy of our souls. It is a source 
of profound gratitude that we have a Saviour who has 
felt in all its forms the tempting power of sin, who is 
full of sympathy for us in our temptations, and who 
has promised to ever be in such our faithful friend. 
Hence the great apostle to the Gentiles, whosewlife was 
full of temptation and trial, gives us a reason why we 
should ''draw near with boldness unto the throne of 
grace," that "we have not a high priest that can not be 
touched with the feelings of our infirmities ; but one 
that hath been in all points tempted like we are ; yet 
without sin." This very fact in the character of our 
Saviour gives us humble boldness to approach the 
throne of grace that nothing else could give. When 
we have given way under temptation, and our souls 
are burdened with a sense of sin, we can come to God 
through the mediation of Jesus, with a confidence that 
His sympathy for us has been perfected by the experi- 
ence of His own earthly life. For Christ was perfected 
for the special parts of His work by His mission among 
men. " For it become him, for whom are all things, 
and through whom are all things, in bringing sons unto 
glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect 
through sufferings." " And having been made perfect, 
he became unto all them that obey him the author of 
eternal salvation." 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 217 

In order to accomplish the great work of redeeming 
the race, Christ had to be a man. He had to be human, 
as well as divine. Hence it was just as essential that 
He be the Son of man as that He be the Son of God. 
He had to make an offering for sin, and that required a 
human body. Hence he says, " Sacrifice and offering 
thou wouldst not. But a body didst thou prepare for 
me." He had to be human in order to die, and divine 
in order to conquer death. Hence, while we exalt His 
divinity, we must none the less appreciate His human- 
ity. We must not cease to contemplate our Lord and 
Saviour as the Son of man. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

VI. CHRIST THE GREAT TEACHER. 

"We know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man 
can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him " (John 
iii. 2). 

" And it came to pass, when Jesus ended these words, the multi- 
tudes were astonished at his teaching : for he taught them as one hav- 
ing authority, and not as their scribes" (Matt. vii. 28, 29). 

** Never man spake like this man " (John vii. 46). 

On *'the great day of the feast" — the feast of the 
tabernacles — in the second year of His ministry, Jesus 
was performing many miracles, and there was great 
commotion among the people as to whether He was 
the Christ. The chief priests and the Pharisees sent 
officers to take Him. But they returned without Him. 
Then the chief priests and Pharisees said, "Why did 
you not bring him?" They simply reply, "Never 
man so spake." These were, doubtless, resolute men 
who were accustomed to obeying orders. But in this 
case they did not obey orders, nor even try to do it. 
Their excuse for not doing so was peculiar. They gave 
no ordinary or natural circumstances as hindering the 
execution of orders. They made no plea to exculpate 
themselves. They simply said, "No man ever spake 
like this man." How, then, shall we account for this? 
There was simply an unearthly majesty in the person, 
the manner and the words of Jesus, that awed them 

into inaction. The very fact that such men were so 

218 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2I9 

unnerved by the presence and words of Jesus, gives us 
an idea of His majesty as a teacher, and of His power 
over men. Thus it was that He could cleanse the tem- 
ple, overturn the tables of the money-changers, drive 
out the whole crew who were making merchandise of 
the house of God, and no one resisted. When did the 
world produce another man whose presence alone awed 
bold officers of the law into disregard of duty, and the 
chastised multitude into non-resistance? 

Jesus was the world's great teacher, and yet He 
was never taught. This fact was recognized by those 
♦who knev/ His history. "The Jews therefore marveled, 
saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never 
learned?" Jesus explained it by saying, ** My teaching 
is not mine, but His that sent me.^' This is the only 
satisfactory explanation that can be given. That Jesus 
was a man of unequaled wisdom, surpassing infinitely 
all the great philosophers of renown, is freely admitted 
by the best informed of modern skeptics. That the 
world has been influenced by His teaching infinitely be- 
yond what it has been by that of any other man, is not 
denied. That the world regards His teaching to-day, 
after eighteen hundred years from the day of His death 
as a malefactor and His rest in a borrowed grave, as it 
has never regarded the teaching of another man, is also 
an admitted fact. How shall we account for such 
teaching — teaching of such accumulating power over 
ages and generations of men — when He Himself was un- 
taught? The world can not answer the question ex- 
cept as Jesus answered it : '* My teaching is not mine, 
but His that sent me." 

Christ was the only teacher among men who never 
made a mistake. After nearly two thousand years, 



220 • SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

during which His teaching has been subjected to the 
severest scrutiny, He stands without conviction as to a 
single error. Its ethics, its morals, its righteousness, 
its philosophy, its wisdom, its accuracy, have stood the 
test of the most rigid investigation. How can this be 
accounted for on the hypothesis that Jesus was only a 
man ? The greatest of all other men, with the advan- 
tage of the world's best facilities, and under teachers of 
renown, have furnished the world with teaching full of 
mistakes and imperfections. If Jesus were only a man, 
how came it that He was so infinitely superior to all 
other men ? And if thus superior in wisdom, righteous- 
ness and purity, how belie Himself in claiming to be 
infinitely more than a man ? It were impossible. The 
two things are mutually destructive. Jesus furnishes 
the only explanation: ''My teaching is not mine, but 
His that sent me." 

Jesus is the teacher of the science of salvation. 
Others before Him taught the things pertaining to sal- 
vation, but their teaching was all by the Spirit of God, 
framed with reference to what His was to be. 

Others, after Him, taught the way of life, but they 
taught it as they received it from Him. When He as- 
cended to the Father He sent the Holy Spirit as His 
advocate. The Spirit imparted to the apostles what 
He received from Christ. He took the words of the 
coronated Christ and gave them to the apostles, and 
they spake as the Spirit gave them utterance (see John 
xvi. 7, 15). It follows, therefore, that the teaching of 
the apostles is as infallible as that of the Christ, for it 
is simply His. 

It was not the purpose of Jesus to teach the wis- 
dom of this world. He was not of this world, and His 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 221 

teaching was not with reference to this world. He 
came from another world, and the things pertaining to 
another world were the ultimatum of His teaching. 
The way of salvation is purely a matter of revelation. 
Man knows nothing about it except what God has re- 
vealed through Christ. The same is true as to that 
from which we are saved, and that to which we 
are saved. We know nothing of God, heaven, hell 
and eternity, except that which is revealed. All that 
we know of sin and its remedy we learn from the great 
Teacher. The nature and the consequences of sin we 
learn from the same source. The revelation of God is 
at once the source and limit of our knowledge of sin 
and righteousness, and their consequences. In the 
whole scheme of redemption Christ is the central 
figure ; and on it He is the great teacher and supreme 
authority. 

Christ, as a teacher of law and morals, legislates for 
the heart. Men can take cognizance only of deeds. 
They can not know the heart. Hence they can judge 
it only by outward manifestations. But Christ knew 
what was in man. Hence He could legislate for man's 
thoughts, as well as his deeds. Hence He says : "Ye 
have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit 
adultery: but I say unto you, that every one that 
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed 
adultery with her already in his heart." Even the law 
of the Ten Commandments legislated against adultery 
only as an outward act, but Christ legislates against the 
thought. In this respect, as in many others, He is 
unique as a teacher. 

Finally, He taught by His own authority. This 
was the cause of the astonishment at the conclusion of 



222 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

the Sermon on the Mount. "The multitudes were as- 
tonished at His teaching ; for He taught them asonehav. 
ing authority, and not as their scribes." The scribes 
taught that which **was said to them of old time," and 
the traditions of men, but Christ said, "I say unto 
you. " Mark this feature in that discourse. A dozen times 
does he say, *'/say unto you." This was in harmony 
with that which was predicted of Him as a teacher. 
" Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God 
raise up unto you from among your brethren, Hke unto 
me ; to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever 
he shall speak unto you. And it shall be, that every 
soul which shall not hearken to that prophet shall be 
utterly destroyed from among the people." And in 
the presence of Moses and Elijah, the great teachers of 
the past, the divine Father said : ''This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him." All 
this recognizes one of the fundamental principles in the 
Christian religion — the supreme authority of Christ. 
The world seems slow to learn that what He said He said 
by His own authority, whether personally or through the 
apostles and prophets ; that it needs no other support, 
and that it is the irrepealable law of the kingdom of 
God. Because we are not under the law, but under 
grace, many conclude that we have a rehgious latitude 
in which we may legislate for ourselves, forgetting that 
Paul says we are ** under law to Christ." 

In our supreme ignorance we need a teacher — an 
infallible teacher; and that we have in the person of 
Jesus. In order to become wise unto salvation, we 
must hear and learn of Him. In believing what He 
says, and doing what He directs, we have His divine 
assurance of salvation from sin and a home in heaven. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

VII. CHRIST THE DELIVERER. 

<' And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought 
up ; and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the 
sabbath day, and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him 
the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found 
the place where it was written, 

The spirit of the Lord is upon me, 

Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor : 

He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, 

And recovering of sight to the blind, 

To set at liberty them that are bruised. 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. 

And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and 
sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled 
in your ears" (Luke iv. 16-21). 

This sublime passage is a quotation of Isaiah Ixi. 
1-3. It contains several words indicating a character 
in which the Messiah was to appear, strikingly appreci- 
ated by the Jews at the time of the prophecy. Espe- 
cially from the time of the Babylonish captivity did the 
Jews make prominent the idea of a deliverer in the 
person of their promised Messiah. '"Release to the 
captives ' ' and ' ' liberty to the bi'uised ' ' — ill-treated by their 
captors — was to them a precious proclamation, looked 
forward to with great anxiety, when deliverance should 
be proclaimed and Israel should again be the free and 

favored people of God. 

223 



224 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

Since this characteristic was so long appreciated as 
a matter of prophecy, and Jesus announced its fulfill- 
ment in Himself, it is a befitting occasion on which to 
briefly notice the relation of Christ to prophecy. The 
understanding of this relationship is important at any 
time, because it furnishes a valuable class of evidence 
as to the Messiahship and divinity of Jesus. It is 
especially so at this time, since infidels are making a 
special effort to destroy the value of prophecy in this 
respect ; and some from whom we should expect better 
things seem to be assisting in the work. 

A great deal of importance was given to Messianic 
prophecies during the days of the Saviour and the 
apostolic age of the church. Indeed, this was the main 
source of evidence to the Jewish mind that Jesus was 
the Christ. And the use made of it by Christ and the 
apostles shows that it was abundant. 

When Jesus talked with two of the disciples on 
their way to Emmaus, on the day of the resurrection. 
He said to them: ** O foolish men, and slow of heart 
to believe in all that the prophets have spoken ! Be- 
hooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to 
enter into his glory? And beginning from Moses and 
from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the 
scriptures the things concerning himself." Here Jesus 
Himself states that Moses and all the prophets prophe- 
sied of Him. And when He had returned to Jerusa- 
lem, and stood in the midst of the eleven, He said to 
them: ''These are my words which I spake unto you, 
while I was yet with you, how that all things must 
needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses 
and the prophets and the psalms concerning me." 
Thus the books of Moses, and all the prophets, and 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 22$ 

the psalms, contained teaching concerning the Christ, 
according to Jesus' own statement ; and it was all 
in the form of type and prophecy. Indeed, types are 
but forms of prophecy. 

Jesus charged the Jews with not believing Moses, 
and gave that as the reason why they did not believe 
on Him. He said: ''For if ye believe Moses, ye 
would believe me : for he wrote of me. But if ye be- 
lieve not his writings how shall ye believe my words?" 
Like modern skeptics, they did not believe the writings 
of Moses concerning the Messiah — did not beheve that 
they referred to the Messiah ; hence their value was de- 
stroyed, and they did not believe in Jesus. Had they be- 
lieved these prophecies they would have believed on 
Christ. 

On the day of Pentecost Peter convinced the three 
thousand by argument from prophecy concerning the 
Christ. In his sermon in Solomon's porch the argu- 
ment was likewise based upon prophecy. Paul's 
manner of preaching (see Acts xvii. 1-3) was to show 
the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the 
Messiah and then show that these were fulfilled in Jesus 
of Nazareth. Therefore the conclusion was necessitated 
that He was the Christ. As this was Paul's method, 
he evidently attached to prophecy the highest possible 
value. That all the apostles did this is evident from 
the statement of Peter. Speaking of their being " eye- 
witnesses of His majesty," and of the infallible signs He 
gave of His divinity, he says : " And we have the word 
of prophecy made more sure ; whereunto ye do well 
that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark 
place." 

How are we to determine the Messianic prophecies? 



226 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

We unhesitatingly reply, by the example of Christ ana 
the apostles. Three important points are established 
by their testimony: (i) They teach that such prophe- 
cies are numerous, and made by Moses, David, and all 
the prophets. (2) They quote or refer to specifically, 
and thus apply, quite a number. It is evident that 
these are Messianic, because so applied. (3) Since 
Christ and the apostles designate a large number as 
Messianic, we are safe in concluding that others are so 
that are of like character. They are infallible judges, 
and they furnish us a criterion by which to judge. 

It is not true, as claimed, that in order to a Mes- 
sianic prophecy, the prophet making it must so under- 
stand it at the time. On the contrary, Peter tells us 
that they searched diligently to ascertain the things 
and the time of them referred to in their own prophe- 
cies concerning the sufferings of the Christ and the glory 
that was to follow. (See I. Pet. i. 10-12). They, 
therefore, did not understand the things or the time 
referred to. Since they did not know these, they did 
not know that the prophecy referred to the Messiah. 
The same Peter did not understand some of his own 
utterances on the day of Pentecost. His language here 
makes the promise of salvation to Gentiles as well as 
to Jews. But he did not so understand it till he had a 
special revelation at Joppa and the house of Cornelius. 

Nor is it true, as claimed, that a Messianic prophecy 
must have been so understood by the people before its 
fulfillment. Many of the Messianic prophecies were 
not understood as such in Old Testament times. The 
Saviour charged this want of understanding upon His 
disciples, and told them that if they had correctly in- 
terpreted Moses and the prophets, in this very respect, 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 22/ 

they would have known that His death was required by 
such prophecies, and they would not have received the 
story of His resurrection as an idle tale. Moreover, He 
charged the Jews that this failure to understand Mes- 
sianic prophecies, as such, was the ground of their not 
believing on Him. (See John v. 45-47). 

In regard to types, which is a feature of prophetic 
teaching, and a strong chapter of evidence as to inspira- 
tion, Clark Braden says : * ' There are but few real 
types in the Bible ; that is, there are but few things 
that men devised and acted with the intention of sym- 
bolizing or typifying anything future. There are ex- 
ceeding few that were devised or acted with that as 
their sole object." It would be difficult for one to 
crowd more flagrant error into the same space than the 
above contains, if he were to make it a specialty. It 
contains the following positions, all of which are false : 
(i) That there are but few types in the Bible. (2) 
That types are devised by men. (3) That types were 
** devised and acted" by the same party. (4) That 
they were "devised and acted " by men with the inten- 
tion of typifying something future. (5) That this, in 
order to their value as evidence of inspiration, should 
have been ** their sole object." This will do quite well 
for five Hnes. We would suggest that God devised 
types, not men. While men were the actors, they 
were not the originators. While men may not have 
intended to typify anything in the case, God did. 
While types were intended by God to typify something 
future, this was not *' their sole object." God had in 
them a purpose for the actors in addition to their typi- 
cal significance. The purpose they then served detracts 
not from their value as types. As to the comparative 



22S SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

number, we prefer Paul as authority. Speaking of the 
wilderness life of the Israelites, from their baptism in 
the cloud and in the sea, he says : ** Now these things 
happened unto them by way of types \_Uipof\, and they 
were written for our admonition." This history con- 
tains numerous types, Paul being judge. Indeed, the 
patriarchal and Jewish religions were mainly typical. 
When Noah built the ark to the saving of his house, 
it is not probable that he thought of anything typical. 
Certainly that was not the only purpose, nor the main 
purpose. But Peter says it was a type, all the same. 

The fact that God's people did not understand the 
full significance of their worship, did not destroy its 
character or its value. The same is true now. While 
God's oppressed people worshiped in types and symbols 
which foreshadowed the perfection to come, they were 
taught by the spirit of prophecy to look with longing 
anxiety to the coming of a deliverer. While, in 
debate, we may not rely on a large number of prophe- 
cies as Messianic, because the proof is not conclusive, 
it does not effect the fact that many of them have that 
character. 

To appreciate Christ as a deliverer one must realize 
his own bondage — the slave of sin, and sold under its 
power. There is no appreciation of the Deliverer till 
there is a longing for deliverance, and no longing for 
deliverance till there is a hatred of bondage. Hence 
one must have a just sense of the heinousness of sin 
before he can appreciate Christ as a Saviour. 

In coming to this world to deliver us, Christ had, 
in a sense, to come within the dominion of Satan, and 
under the assaults of sin. This is typfied by Moses 
going into Egypt to deliver his brethren. He had 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 229 

to place himself under the reign of Pharaoh , and 
in order to deliver his brethren he had to deliver 
himself. The Son of God took upon Him our 
humanity. This He had to do to make a sacrifice 
and be a mediator for us. In doing this He placed 
Himself under the tempting power of sin, and was 
tempted in all points as we are. He had to save Him- 
self from this condition before He could save us. This 
was done through death and the resurrection. With 
Him the old life ceased at the cross, and the new one 
began from the grave. He conquered Satan — dragged 
the captor captive — and was forever delivered from his 
tempting power. ** He died unto sin once," says' Paul ; 
and we die to sin just where He did, being put to 
death by the cross. We are buried with Him, and rise 
with Him to walk in newness of life. Thus the new 
life begins with us just where it began with Him — from 
the grave — the grave of baptism in which we are 
buried together and rise together. The denominational 
world want to make the new life begin from the cross. 
But it did not thus begin with Jesus, and Paul says it 
does not thus begin with us. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

VIII. CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 

" They that are whole have no need of a physician ; but they that 
are sick, I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repent- 
ance " (Luke V. 31, 32). 

** For this people's heart is waxed gross, 

And their ears are dull of hearing. 

And their eyes they have closed ; 

Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, 

And hear with their ears, 

And understand with their heart, 

And should turn again, 

And I should heal them " (Matt. xiii. 15). 

*' He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted " (Luke iv. 18). 

Several times, either directly or indirectly, Christ 
alludes to Himself as a physician. In this character 
He is worthy of careful study. 

The first thing in order to appreciate a physician, is 

to realize that one is sick. The Saviour says the well 

need not a physician. It is equally true that the well 

care not for a physician. Sin is the disease of which 

Christ, as a physician, is the healer. The disease is 

deadly. The smallest amount is fatal. The Great 

Physician alone can heal it. There is no other remedy. 

When a man is once affected, however much he may keep 

it under control, and prevent its increase, there is never 

a diminution of the disease till the remedy of the Great 

Physician is applied. 

There is much senseless talk about depravity that 
230 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 2$ I 

necessarily implies, though its advocates may not so in- 
tend, that sin has comparatively little condemnatory 
force. The idea so often expressed that one must be 
"a great sinner in order to need a great Saviour;'' 
that if he is only " partially depraved, he needs to be 
only partially saved;" that he must be ''totally de- 
praved in order to be totally lost ;" that he must be 
** totally depraved in order to be wholly dependent on 
Christ for salvation," and such like, necessarily puts a 
light estimate upon sin. The idea is, that if one has 
but a comparatively small amount of sin, he is not 
wholly lost and utterly helpless, and wholly dependent 
on Christ. When the simple fact is, that sin is so 
heinous in its character and condemnatory in its conse- 
quences, that any amount of it, whether much or little, 
renders one as helpless and hopeless and dependent on 
Christ as if he were totally depraved by nature and 
doubly defiled by a life of sin. There is, therefore, no 
necessity for total depravity, in order that man be in an 
utterly lost and helpless condition without Christ. A 
grain of strychnine is just as fatal as an ounce, without 
an antidote. 

In order that we appreciate a physician, and avail 
ourselves of the benefits of his skill, we must have faith 
in him. Without faith that his skill is superior to ours, 
and that he can help us, we will not call upon 
him. If we have faith in him we will do as he directs. 
The highest evidence of faith in a physician, and the 
surest way of being benefited by his skill, is in going 
precisely by his directions. Some years ago the writer 
had a long spell of typhoid fever. His physician came 
to see him one hundred and thirty times. After he 
became convalescent, his physician said to him one 



232 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

day, " In looking back over your case, I can attribute 
your recovery to but two things — your unyielding res- 
olution and confidence, and your faith in your phys- 
ician." What did he mean by faith in my physician? 
What had that to do with it? He explained. " For," 
said he, ''you followed my directions minutely in 
everything, and for more than seven weeks the least 
wabble would have turned the scale against you." This 
was a fine illustration of faith, but theologically he 
attached to the word a very different idea. 

Such must be our faith in the Great Physician that 
we apply to Him for the treatment of a sin-sick soul. 
And having called upon Him, we are to follow His , 
directions. On one occasion He said to the Pharisees, 
" Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the 
things which I say?" So in this case He would say, 
" Why do you call on me as a physician, and do not as 
I direct you ?" As well apply to an earthly physician 
and expect to be healed by faith in his skill, without 
taking his medicine or following his directions in other 
respects, as to expect the Great Physician to heal you 
in the same way. This illustrates the absolute folly of 
expecting to be ''justified by faith only " in the Great 
Physician of souls, before and without doing as He 
directs. Our faith in a physician is valuable only as it 
induces us to take his remedies. When it leads to this, 
it has fulfilled its only office. When it does not lead 
to this, it is worthless. So of our faith in Christ. The 
only value of faith is in its leading to the observance of 
the divine will. The faith that does this saves, because 
it leads us to where God saves us. God promises sal- 
vation in the doing of His will. " Not every one that 
says unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 233 

of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father 
who is in heaven." Faith leads to the doing of the 
Father's will. In this it performs its only office, and in 
this it saves. Faith can have value only as it leads to 
the appropriation and use of the remedies prescribed. 

It is often the case that a physician is stationary, 
and his patients have to come to him in order to get 
the benefits of his treatment. In such case, the acts 
necessary to take us to him are essential to our recov- 
ery, though they have no virtue whatever except as 
means of reaching him. So of coming to Christ. 
Christ does not come to the sinner, as orthodox 
prayers at the mourners' bench imply ; but He invites 
the sinner to come to Him. " Come unto me, all ye 
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest." ** And you will not come to me that you may 
have life." Believing on Christ is one thing, and com- 
ing to Him is quite another. One must first believe 
before he will come. Yet, in addition to believing, the 
orthodox world, so-called, utterly fails to tell us how 
to come to Christ. They cry, ''Come, corne, " but 
tell us not how. Christ plainly teaches that we come 
to Him in obedience. We are baptized into Him ; 
into His body. We put Him on by baptism. Being 
baptized into Christ is Paul's explanation of how we 
become the. children of God by faith. *' Ye are all 
sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as 
many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on 
Christ." We come to Christ, then, in baptism. This 
is the first overt act in the *' obedience of faith." Our 
faith, repentance and baptism bring us to Christ ; then 
He, as the Great Physician, heals our sin-sick soul. 
There is no healing virtue in these things that bring us 



234 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

to Him ; but they are conditions of our healing because 
they are means of our reaching the Physician. 

The remedy for sin is the Physician's own blood. 
That is the only thing in the universe of God that can' 
heal the disease of sin, and remove the ruinous conse- 
quences. **The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, 
cleanses from all sin." The blood of animal sacrifices 
could not take away sin. " For it is impossible that 
the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." 
Since animal sacrifice could not meet the demands of 
the law, God prepared a body for His Son in which to 
make a sacrifice. 

" Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, 
But a body thou didst prepare me." 

Hence we are redeemed from the curse of sin, not 
with corruptible things, ** but with precious blood, as 
of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the 
blood of Christ." ''And without the shedding of" 
blood there was no remission." 

It is plain, therefore, that the blood of the Physician 
is the only remedy. This remedy is freely given when 
we come to Him. 

Jesus said : '' As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ; 
that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal, 
life." The Israelites were commanded to look upon 
the brazen serpent ; and they that looked were healed. 
They had to have faith, in order to look with a view to 
being healed. Looking was the thing commanded. It 
was the result of faith. In looking they were healed. 
But there was no virtue in the looking. Looking, in 
and of itself, had no power to heal. Still it was essen- 
tial to the healing. Neither had the thing looked upon 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 235 

any power to heal. There was no virtue in the serpent. 
The heaUng power lay back of that. It was in God, 
who had promised. God did the healing. But while 
there was no healing virtue in the look nor in the 
thing looked upon, they were necessary to the healing, 
because to this end were they commanded. They 
were, therefore, necessary to bring one to the point in 
the obedience of faith where God promised to heal. So 
it is with the Great Healer of souls. They that believe 
shall in Him find the healing power. Their faith leads 
them to Him, where the healing power is applied, as 
the look brought the Israelites to the healing power of 
God. Our obedience that brings us to Christ is the 
outgrowth of our faith, just as their look was the out- 
growth of theirs. There is no healing virtue in the 
one nor the other, but they were and are necessary to 
bring the believer where the healing virtue is. 

After all that is said about being saved by faith, and 
by other things, it is simply true that Christ saves us. 
He is our Saviour. And He saves us by means of His 
own blood. 

"There is a fountain filled with blood, 
Drawn from Immanuel's veins ; 
And sinners plunged beneath that flood 
Lose all their guilty stains." 

It is thus that Christ is precious to us as the great 
Physician of souls. We should give heed to His 
inviting voice, place ourselves under His continued 
care, follow His directions, and we shall enjoy a healed 
and healthful state of the soul. 

"The great Physician now is near, 
The sympathizing Jesus; 
He speaks, the drooping heart to cheer : 
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus." 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

IX. CHRIST OUR MEDIATOR. 

"For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, 
himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all ; the testi- 
mony to be borne in its own time " (I. Tim. ii. 5-6). 

A mediator is one who comes between alienated 
parties to effect a reconciliation. He must be the 
friend, the advocate and equal of both parties. Failing 
in one of these, he is incapacitated. No one would 
accept a mediator whom he believed would be wanting 
in any of these respects in his relations to him. No 
one is fit to mediate who is not qualified to do justice 
to both parties. This he can not do unless he knows 
the rights of both and is the friend of both. He must 
be unbiased in his judgment and impartial in his friend- 
ship. He must be considered the equal of both, in so 
far, at least, as his knowledge of them and his ability 
to judge between them is concerned. 

A mediator between God and men implies ahena- 

tion between them. The history of the race shows this 

to be true. The time was when they were one ; when 

not a feeling or a shadow came between them. The 

bliss of Eden reached its daily acme when the footfall 

of God was heard amid its bowers. The hour that He 

joined their company was that of supreme joy. But 

man sinned, and then the presence of God was shunned. 

That which was dehghtful before is painful now. Such 
236 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 23/ 

IS the principle of congeniality ; and such the conse- 
quences of sin — to make of heaven a hell. This fact 
alone should teach us that it lies not within the limits 
of divine power to make a heaven for sinful men. 
Separation from God is hell ; and with the soul defiled 
by sin, union is worse than separation. 

After the fall of man he could no longer stand in 
the immediate presence of God, as he was wont to do 
before. Sin can not approach the divine presence, 
hence he needed a mediator, one to stand between 
him and an offended God, through whom he might 
again be heard and blessed. Mediators of an imperfect 
and typical character were had in that age of prepara- 
tion for the coming perfection. But where could a per- 
fect mediator be found to stand between an offended 
God and rebellious man ? Where in all the universe 
could one be found the friend and equal of both par- 
ties? Where could one be found that could stand on 
equality with God, know what was just and right in 
regard to Him, and, at the same time know the weak- 
nesses, the wants and the rights of man ? Where was 
one who could poise with one hand the scales of God's 
justice and gather fallen humanity to his bosom with 
the other? The boundless dominions of God contained 
not such a being. Man could not thus act, for the 
best of men are themselves sinners, and can approach 
God only through a mediator. The best of men know 
nothing of God's side of this matter, and they fall be- 
low equality with Him, as the earth is below the stars. 
An angel could not stand between God and men, for 
he can not descend to equality with fleshly natures, to 
know their weaknesses and their wants ; nor can ascend 
the heights of divine perfection till he knows the mind 



238 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

and the rights of God. In the Divine Logos, and the 
Divine Spirit we find, in a sense, equality with God, 
but no equahty with men. How, then, is this great 
problem, that on which the world's salvation turns, to 
be solved ? The human and the divine must be 
blended. They must meet and dwell in one. This is 
accomplished, not by lifting the human up to the 
divine, but by bringing the divine down to the human. 
God glories in condescension. 

The Word that was in the beginning with God, 
that was God in His divine attributes, became flesh and 
dwelt among us. In the person of the babe of Beth- 
lehem we have a being that never before existed — a 
being both human and divine. He brought from the 
skies the divinity of His Father, and dwelt among men 
with the humanity of His mother. Hence the mighty 
chasm between man and God, between earth and 
heaven, is bridged over in the God-man, Christ Jesus. 
His divinity reaches half-way from heaven to earth, 
and His humanity half-way from earth to heaven, and 
the two unite in Him. 

In the life of Jesus we see His two natures con- 
stantly manifested. As He hungers and thirsts and 
sleeps ; as He weeps over the sins of men, and sorrows 
over their afflictions, we see His humanity. He seems 
to be only a man. But when He stills the tempest on 
the Sea of Galilee, or calls Lazarus back to life, we see 
His divinity. It is interesting to study His life with a 
view to the manifestation of His two natures in each 
event — their distinctness and their blending. 

We may never know in this life the reasons for the 
blending of the divine and the human in the person of 
the mediator. These things are doubtless beyond the 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 239 

ken of an archangel, in all their fullness. Yet from our 
point of view, obscured by our fleshly weakness, we 
may see some reasons lying- on the surface why this 
was a necessity. Some of these let us consider. 

Man fell through the weakness of the flesh and the 
power of temptation. Satan works through the flesh 
to pollute the spirit. In order to be one with us in our 
temptation, and perfect Himself as an experimental 
sympathizer, our mediator must be tempted in all points 
like as we are, that He may know how we feel under 
temptation. This demanded that He take upon Himself 
not the nature of angels, but that of the seed of Abra- 
ham. He must, therefore, be a man. But this tempta- 
tion is to be successfully met. It is to be without sin. 
No man had ever successfully withstood the assaults 
of Satan. Our mediator was to do this. Hence the 
necessity of divinity. He must be human to be 
tempted; He must be divine to resist it. And to make 
His victory the more complete, He had His flesh put to 
the sorest test. After a fast of forty days, when His 
long pent-up hunger rushed upon Him as a lion upon 
its prey, Satan approached and exhausted his strength 
to overcome Him. Not only did He give Satan this 
advantage, such as he had never had nor needed over 
men, but He even went out of the flesh, into the cita- 
del of which Satan held the keys, and came out a tri- 
umphant conqueror. Hence His humanity in order to 
enter in ; His divinity in order to come out. 

The scheme of redemption contemplated a sacrifice 
for the sins of the world. Men must get rid of sin. 
They had no power of themselves to do this. Sin 
must be remitted. This demanded a sacrifice for sin. 
* ' Without the shedding of blood there is no remis- 



240 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

sion." The blood shed must be the blood of humanity. 
It must contain the life under condemnation. Hence 
the ** blood of bulls and of goats could not take away 
sin." It could not reach and cleanse the conscience. 
It was used as an imperfect type, but the perfection re- 
quired the blood that courses in human veins ; but the 
victim must be innocent. It must be absolutely free 
from sin. Only a sinless offering can meet the require- 
ments of the divine government. Hence, in order to 
offer the blood of the condemned race, our mediator 
must be human ; in order to offer it in innocence, He 
must be divine. 

The completion of the preparation of our mediator 
for His work as such, required His death and resurrec- 
tion. It is shocking to the mind of some to speak of 
Christ having to be educated and perfected for His of- 
fice of mediator, but this He asserts Himself. "For 
it became him, for whom are all things, and through 
whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, 
to make the author of their salvation perfect through suf- 
ferings." ''Though he was a Son, yet learned he 
obedience by the things which he suffered ; and having 
been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey 
him, the author of eternal salvation." This officiating 
for man as mediator and high priest, is the only thing, 
as we now remember, in which Christ is said to have 
been specially qualified by His life among men. This 
is significant. The reasons for it are easily seen in the 
foregoing. He had to become a man, and these things 
peculiar to humanity He had to learn. 

In offering Himself a sacrifice for sin, our mediator 
had to die. In order to His work as such, of which 
His death was only preparatory. He had to live again. 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 24 1 

His death was voluntary. He said, " I have power to 
lay down my life, and I have power to take it up 
again." In order to lay down His life, He had to be 
human ; in order to take it up again. He had to be 
divine. 

Having accomplished His preparatory work, Christ 
returned to the Father to make an atonement, and to 
sit henceforth as a mediator between God and men. 
He was equal with God before He left the heavens ; He 
became the equal of man in His sojourn in the world. 
Hence He is now perfectly quahfied for His work. But 
we find that we can not dispose of this subject in one 
chapter. 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

X. — CHRIST OUR MEDIATOR. CONTINUED. 

'* But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by 
how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was 
established upon better promises " (Heb. viii. 6). 

Having considered Christ's preparatory work, His 
earthly mission, we wish now to consider His office and 
wo'rk as mediator between God and men. Christ 
sought no additional honor because of His message to 
men and suffering on their account. On the contrary, 
He prayed : * ' And now, O Father, glorify thou me 
with thine own self, with the glory which I had with 
thee before the world was." But while He sought no 
additional glory. He found additional work. The office 
He now fills existed not till He ascended to the Father 
from an empty grave. He descended into the dominion 
of death and robbed it of its power. He dragged the 
captor captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ascending, 
as a conquering king. His angehc retinue raise the ex- 
ultant shout : * ' Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and 
be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of 
glory shall come in." "Who is this King of glory?" 
the guardian hosts shout back. "The Lord strong and 
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." Again, the gates 
of the eternal city are shaken with the shout : * ' Lift 

up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye 
242 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 243 

everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come 
in." 

Christ was coronated King of kings and Lord of 
lords. He began at once His work of mediation. 
Through the Holy Spirit, sent as His advocate, He con- 
victs men of sin, and brings them into harmony and 
union with God. His mediatorship involves a work of 
reconciliation. This is His fundamental work. The 
old theology was that Christ labors to reconcile God to 
men. Indeed, the world is not yet as free from the 
thought as the truth and the honor of God demand. 
Whatever may be true of the atonement, one thing is 
certain, it grew out of the love of God. "God so 
loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have eternal life." Any theory, therefore, that does 
not harmonize with this is false. God already loves 
the world. He loves sinners, even, who are not peni- 
tent. He is not willing that any should perish, but 
that all should come to repentance. How dishonoring 
to God, then, to represent Him as unwilling to save 
agonizing sinners ; so that the protracted prayers of the 
church are necessary, and often unavailing ! Paul says 
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Him- 
self. Tlie world had transgressed, had gone away from 
God, and Christ's mission as mediator, is to bring it 
back in agreement and submission to the divine will. 

The importance of the mediatorial office of Christ 
is very improperly apprehended. The necessity of a 
mediator between us and God can never be fully real- 
ized in this life. This belongs to that association of 
deep and profound mysteries emanating from the mind 
of God, that angels intently desire to look into. We 



244 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

are permitted to see only the surface in this life. But 
we know enough about the general character of His 
work, to know, that it has a value far above the 
world's comprehension. 

When one stands as our intercessor we are favored 
in proportion to his standing with the other party. 
When one seeks a favor at the hands of the chief ex- 
ecutive of the nation, if he has no standing of his 
own, all depends on the standing of his advocate. If 
the one interceding for him stands high in the presi- 
dent's favor, and has great influence with him, his re- 
quest is favorably considered on account of his advo- 
cate. When we consider the standing of the Son with 
the Father ; that through Him the Father has sought 
the reconciliation of the world; that He is the 
"brightness, the Father's glory, and the express image 
of his person ;" we have perfect confidence that His 
pleadings will prevail. But when the Father * * so loved 
the world as to give his Son to die tor it;" when He so 
loves sinners that His great loving heart goes out in 
yearnings for their salvation, why should His loving, 
struggling children need an intercessor with Him at 
all ? This has been one of the questions of the ages. 
Theories more curious than satisfactory have been 
promulgated concerning it by the different schools of 
theology. We shall not presume to answer it, beyond 
the simple suggestion that this was the special work for 
which the divine Logos that was in the beginning with 
God, had to qualify Himself by special education. 
Hence it is a matter not of difference between the love 
and goodness of the Father and that of the Son, but 
of qualification by experience in the trials, temptations 
and weaknesses of the flesh. The consideration of this 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 245 

fact would have saved the world from much vain specu- 
lation. 

When Paul argues the importance of a mediator, it 
is not on the ground that the Son loves us more than 
the Father, but on the ground that He knows us by 
experience. " For we have not a high priest that can 
not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but 
one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, 
yet without sin. Let us, therefore, draw near with bold- 
ness unto the throne of grace." The fact that our high 
priest, or intercessor, was ''tempted in all points, like 
as we are," is the reason why we may approach a 
throne of grace with boldness. This boldness is simply 
a profound confidence based upon the humanity of our 
mediator. 

When we approach a throne of grace, conscious of 
sin and imperfection, how little can we trust ourselves. 
We realize that we come empty-handed before God. 
With the poet, each can sing : 

" Nothing in my hands I bring, 
Simply to Thy cross I cling." 

We can plead no merit of our own. We have no 
legal claim on the store-house of God's boundless 
mercy and love. But we remember that we have a 
Friend ; that this Friend has suffered the same trials 
and temptations ; that He knows by bitter experience 
just how we feel ; that He deeply sympathizes with us, 
and that He loves us with a devotion and faithfulness 
beyond human experience or expression. Remembering 
this, how can we feel otherwise than confident that an 
already loving Father will hear our petitions in har- 
mony with His will, and bless us as His believing chil- 
dren ? The efficacy of prayer, therefore, grows out of 



246 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

the mediatorship of Jesus, and the confidence in 
prayer grows out of our appreciation of the mediator 
and of His work. Hence a light appreciation of the 
mediatorial work of Jesus leads to a prayerless life. 

Jesus Himself taught that there is no way of ap- 
proach to the Father except through Him. "lam 
the way, the truth and the life ; no man cometh unto 
the Father but by me. " No man can approach God 
in his own name. God does not look upon men in their 
own personality. He looks upon them only tJirongh 
their mediator ; and what He sees to commend, is seen 
and commended only through, and on account of, their 
mediator. In other words, God sees the mediator 
only, not them. Hence the man that does not accept 
the mediator cuts himself off from God. He rejects 
the only way of approach to God. He prevents God's 
considering his case ; for God considers us only 
through the mediator. It is this fact, that God con- 
siders the mediator through whom the petition is made, 
rather than the petitioner, that gives significance to the 
fact that our prayers are to be in tht name of Jesus 
Christ ; and that we ask that our petitions be granted 
for ''Christ's sake." At a throne of grace we pre- 
sent the name of our intercessor. We ask in his name, 
not our own. We present Him, not ourselves. We 
hide ourselves behind Him, put Him in our place, and 
ask what God will do for Him. He authorizes us to 
thus use His name, and the blessings bestowed are just 
to the extent that that name prevails with God. Should 
Vanderbilt grant you the legal right to use his name to the 
full extent of your desire in presentation of checks, etc.; 
with his pledge to redeem all paper bearing his signa- 
ture in your hand, his whole fortune would be pledged 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 26f*J 

to meet the demands of your drafts upon him. Bank- 
rupt financially, as you are spiritually, you present your 
check for a large amount and it would be rejected. But 
add to that the name of Vanderbilt, and your check is 
honored. You draw the money not in your name, but 
in his. The bank sees not you, but him. Now, just 
as you would thus present the name of Vanderbilt, 
with full assurance of your request being granted to 
the extent of his fortune, you to-day present the name 
of Jesus at the court of heaven, and a heaven honors 
that name ; its resources are pledged to meet your peti- 
tion. The name of Jesus, therefore, when thus pre- 
sented, means to us all that it signifies in the govern- 
ment of God. To the extent that His name is honored 
are heavenly blessings secured to us. 

In the light of these sublime truths, we see the sig- 
nificance of the Saviour's requirement that henceforth 
all prayer should be offered in His name. *' Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the 
Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto 
ye have asked nothing in my name ; ask, and ye shall 
receive." What is called the Lord's Prayer, is not in 
His name, because His mediatorship had not then been 
established. But now it would be sinful to repeat that 
prayer, as thousands do, and omit to offer it in the 
name of Christ. The custom of Masons, and other 
secret orders, of having a form of religion that ignores 
Christ, that does not recognize His mediatorship and that 
is not offered in His name, is supremely wicked. It is a 
gross perversion of the religion of Jesus. And how 
Christian men, even preachers of the gospel, can find 
it in their hearts to acquiesce in such a thing, is to us a 



248 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

profound puzzle. The institution that has no place for 
my Master has no place for me. 

The only way of approach to God is through Christ 
as our mediator ; and the mediatorial office of Christ is 
in the church, not in the world. Hence, as God can 
be glorified only through Christ, He can be glorified 
only through the church. Paul, recognizing this, says : 
"Unto God be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, 
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

XI. — CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST. 

"Now, if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood 
(for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was 
there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, 
and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron ? For the priesthood 
being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 
For he of whom these things are said belongeth to another tribe, from 
-which no man hath given attendance at the altar. For it is evident 
that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah ; as to which tribe Moses spake 
nothing concerning priests. And what we say is yet more abundantly 
evident, if after the likeness of Melchisedec there ariseth another 
priest, who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, 
but after the power of an endless life, for it is witnessed of him, Thou 
art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec" (Heb. vii. 11-17). 

Each dispensation has had its priesthood. Each 
has had its priests and its high priests. Each has had 
its priests, its altars and its sacrifices peculiar to itself. 
Only priests in any age could worship God ; and ac- 
ceptable worship must ever be in accordance with the 
law of the priesthood. 

During the patriarchal age the father of the family 
was priest. He offered sacrifice for the family. The 
grandfather, great grandfather, etc., was high priest 
over his posterity for all the generations descending 
from him while he lived. Adam was high priest of the 
whole race during his life. Then the high priesthood 
descended to each of his sons for the posterity of each. 

So Noah was high priest of all the post-diluvian world 

249 



250 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

during his life. Then it descended to each of his sons. 
Each son was high priest of his branch of the family, 
in all its generations, during his life. In that age, 
therefore, as in this, there was a universal priesthood. 
The priesthood of the Christian dispensation is, in a 
certain sense, modeled after the patriarchal and in con- 
trast with the Jewish. It is after the order of Melchis- 
edec, and not after that of Aaron. Melchisedec 
was high priest of that division of the human family to 
which Abraham belonged, and this distinguished patri- 
arch paid tithes to him. If we do not misinterpret the 
law of the priesthood of that age, this could have been 
none other than Shem. Shem was then living, and 
Noah was dead ; and Abraham belonged to Shem's 
posterity. Hence no one else could be high priest 
while Shem lived. Many have thought that because it 
is said he was "without father, without mother, with- 
out genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor 
end of life," that he could not be a man. But they 
fail to observe that he was without these things in the 
Aaronic pnesthood. For it is said that he had a geneal- 
ogy, but that it was not in the priestly family. * ' And 
they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest's 
office have commandment to take tithes of the people 
according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though 
these have come out of the loins of Abraham ; but he 
whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken 
tithes of Abraham." Shem had neither father nor 
mother, nor beginning of days, nor end of life, in the 
sense that the Aaronic priests had them ; and this is all 
that is affirmed of Melchisedec. 

When God called His people out of Egyptian bond- 
age, and gave them the law, He gave them a new 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 25 1 

priesthood. The priests were now all confined to the 
tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron. Men could no 
longer build their own altars and offer their own sacri- 
fices. On the contrary, they had all to bring their of- 
fering to the priests appointed of the family of Aaron, 
and have them make the offering. With a change of 
the priesthood came a change of the law. "For," 
says Paul, "the priesthood being changed, there is 
made of necessity a change also in the law." The law 
thus changed was the law of worship through the 
priesthood. And as it was through this worship that 
pardon was obtained, the change of priesthood changed 
the law of pardon. Hence the law of pardon under 
each priesthood has been different from that under 
either of the others. After the establishment of the 
Aaronic priesthood, a descendant of Jacob could no 
longer build his altar and offer his sacrifice just as he 
had done before the change. And now a priest under 
the Christian dispensation can not offer acceptable wor- 
ship as did either the Jew or the patriarch. The wor- 
ship that once brought to one the divine blessing 
would now bring upon him a curse. How strange it is, 
then, that the denominational world in large measure 
go back to a different priesthood for their ideas of re- 
ligion and salvation. 

Under the law the kings and the priests were of two 
distinct tribes. These were of the tribe of Levi; 
those of the tribe of Judah. Hence it is written : 
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law- 
giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and 
unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Christ 
was of the tribe of Judah ; hence He, like Melchlsedec, 
is both priest and king. He could not be a priest of 



252 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

the Aaronic order, for he was of a different tribe — a 
tribe of which Moses spoke nothing concerning the 
priesthood. Hence all the efforts to make Him a priest 
of that kind are refuted by that simple fact. Many- 
insist that Christ was inducted into His priestly office 
at His baptism, and many vain speculations are based 
thereon. But this can not be. Christ was not a priest 
while He was on the earth, says Paul in these words : 
*'Now, if he were on earth he would not be a 
priest at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts 
according to the law " (Heb. viii. 4). He could not be 
a priest on earth, because the Aaronic priesthood was 
then in force, and He was not of the Aaronic family. 
Since He could not be a priest while on earth, it is folly 
to talk of His becoming a priest at His baptism. 
He could not become a priest till the law of the priest- 
hood was changed, and that was not changed till after 
His death. The Aaronic priesthood was in full force 
till His death. He was made high priest, not by the 
legal ritual, but by the oath of God ; and this oath was 
''after the law,'' not while it was in force. The law 
continued till His death, hence it was after His death 
that He was made high priest by the oath of God. He 
was a sacrifice when He died, not a priest. He could not 
be priest and sacrifice at the same time. After His 
ascension He, as high priest, made atonement with His 
own blood which He shed as a sacrifice for the sins of 
the world. Hence a number of facts show the utter 
folly of claiming that He was a priest among men. 

It is through Christ as high priest that we worship 
God. We can worship acceptably in no other way. 
There are no other means of access to the Father. 
Only through and by the priesthood can God be wor- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 253 

shiped. Hence the worshiper must become a priest, 
and then worship through Christ as high priest. All 
pretensions to approach God in worship, Avithout 
recognizing Christ as our high priest and mediator, is 
only an exhibition of an infidel farce. It is an insult to 
God, because a rejection of His Son. Hence those 
who do not accept Christ as their high priest cut them- 
selves off from access to the Father. Christ Himself 
says, ''No man cometh unto the Father but by me." 

Paul makes it a matter of rejoicing that we have a 
great high priest who can be touched with the feeling 
of our infirmities ; one that has been tempted in all 
points like as we are, yet without sin. Such a high 
priest knows how to sympathize with us, and to make 
for us all just excuses. 

The earthly high priest went once a year, on the 
great day of atonement, into the most holy place, with 
the blood of others, to make atonement for the sins of 
Israel ; but Christ, as the high priest of the good 
things to come, has entered the holy place on high, with 
His own blood, to make atonement for the sins of the 
whole world. The offerings made by the priests under 
the law pertained only to the cleansing of the flesh ; 
but the blood offered by our high priest "cleanses the 
conscience from dead works to serve the living God." 



NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST. 

XII. CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

*' But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom 
from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption : that, 
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the 
Lord" (I. Cor. i. 30, 31). 

In this language Paul affirms that Christ is our 
righteousness. This is a momentous thought. It goes 
to the heart of the scheme of redemption. How is 
Christ our righteousness ? What does Paul mean by 
the affirmation ? The very life of Christianity is in- 
volved in the answer. By one's answer we know just 
where to place him in regard to the vital principles of 
Christianity. 

That one must be righteous in order to be prepared 
for heaven, must be conceded by those who accept the 
Bible as authority. ''Know ye not that the unright- 
eous shall not inherit the kingdom of God." And this 
must be a positive, not simply a relative, righteousness. 
Men may be comparatively righteous, and yet be wholly 
unprepared for the presence of God. The righteous- 
ness required in order to a home in heaven is absolute. 
All unrighteousness is sin, and one must be perfectly 
free from sin to be accepted in the Beloved. No sin can 
enter heaven. One can not stand in the presence of 
God, accepted through the righteousness of Christ, 

with the least taint of sin upon his soul. Hence per- 

254 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 255 

feet righteousness is required. One must be righteous 
even as Christ Himself is righteous. Knowing this to 
be true, and knowing our own imperfections and short- 
comings, even in our best estate, it is no wonder that 
the way is described as narrow. One can not but see 
at a glance his utter hopelessness if he has to depend 
on himself If Christ has made any provision by 
which this righteousness can be attained then one can 
not but appreciate what Christ has done for him and 
his absolute dependence on Him for salvation. 

Two distinct kinds of righteousness are clearly 
defined in the Word of God. They are in striking 
contrast. One is approved ; the other condemned. 
One is of God ; the other of men. One is of faith ; the 
other of law. 

God's righteousness is not only a divine, holy 
principle of justice and mercy, but is also a system or 
plan of salvation. When Jesus applied to John for 
baptism, John declined. He was preaching the ** bap- 
tism of repentance for the remission of sins." He also 
required a confession of their sins. They were baptized 
of him in Jordan, ** confessing their sins." While he 
did not know Jesus to be the Christ, he knew Him as 
his kinsman, and he knew enough of the purity and 
sinlessness of His life to think that He should not con- 
fess His sins to be baptized for their remission. Besides 
he doubtless hoped that Jesus would be the favored 
one on whom he was to see the Holy Spirit descending 
and abiding upon Him. He, therefore, felt himself un- 
worthy to baptize his cousin Jesus. But Jesus said, 
''Suffer it now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all 
righteousness." No matter what John's personal feel- 
ings were, or the sinlessness and purity of Jesus, it 



256 . SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

became the duty of one as the administrator and the 
other as the subject to observe this divine appointment. 
Had their idea been that baptism was to be adminis- 
tered to those free from sin, such an objection could 
never have been raised. Here the word "righteous- 
ness " evidently refers to God's appointments in the 
divine economy — the plan of salvation. 

When Peter went to the house of Cornelius to 
break the bread of life to the Gentiles, he said : " I now 
perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in 
every nation he that feareth God and worketh right- 
eousness is accepted of him." Here ** righteousness" 
is something to be "worked." It is, therefore, some- 
thing to be done. In it men are active. It is not, 
therefore, a quality in God or man, but something that 
enhsts the activities of men. It is a plan by the observ- 
ance of which men are accepted of God. 

Speaking of his own brethren according to the flesh, 
Paul says: "Brethren, my heart's desire and sup- 
plication to God is for them, that they may be saved. 
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, 
but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant 
of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their 
own, they did not submit themselves to the righteous- 
ness of God " (Rom. x. 1-3). Here the righteousness 
of God is contrasted with that of the unbelieving Jews. 
They rejected God's, and set up one of their own. 
They did not submit to God's righteousness. Here it 
is clearly a religious system, a plan of salvation. They 
rejected God's plan and tried to establish one of their 
own. In this they were zealous, but it was a mis- 
guided zeal. 

In harmony with this idea of righteousness we un- 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 25/ 

derstand the expression in the first chapter of this 
epistle: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it 
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For 
therein is revealed a righteousness of God by faith unto 
faith : as it is written, But the righteous shall live by 
faith." Here we understand God's righteousness to be 
God's plan of saving or justifying men by faith ; the 
plan to which the Jews would not submit in the tenth 
chapter. Hence, in the gospel, God's system of justi- 
fication by faith is revealed iti order to faith. Faith 
comes by hearing the word of God. In the gospel 
God's plan of saving men by faith in Christ is revealed, 
and this is the only place in which it is revealed. Con- 
sequently the truth herein revealed produces faith. 
This results in the acceptance of God's plan of salva- 
tion. 

We have *'the faith" as a system of salvation 
through Christ, and faith as a personal state of the 
mind and heart. So, also, have we righteousness as a 
plan of salvation which we accept from God, and right- 
eousness as a personal quality — a state of personal free- 
dom from sin. And the one leads to the other, as a 
revelation of **the faith" produces personal faith. 

This leads us to consider how we obtain that per- 
fect righteousness, without which we can not enjoy the 
blissful presence of God. 

Paul's teaching in regard to the personal righteous- 
ness of the saints, makes salvation by a mere reforma- 
tion of life, an impossibility. The importance of this 
fact can not be over-estimated. Many people seem to 
think that a reformation in regard to moral conduct, is 
all that is necessary to prepare to meet God. If they 



258 SELECTED WRITINGS OF 

can only break off their sinful practices, and practice 
morality, they think they have done all that is really 
essential. In this there are two fatal mistakes. First, 
no reformation is perfect. The best of men whose lives 
have been moulded into the divine image, and are 
most conformed to the divine nature, have their im- 
perfections. The ripest saint upon the earth feels that 
if his salvation depended on his perfect sinlessness in 
conduct for. the rest of life, the chances of heaven would 
at once become dark and hopeless. The cheerfulness 
and bright assurance of the child of God are not be- 
cause he hopes to live a perfect life, but because his 
imperfections will be taken away in Christ. And 
second, the most perfect reformation would avail noth- 
ing. Could one so reform his life as to never sin again, 
and practice virtue in place of the former vice, it would 
fall -ar short of securing the end. However free from sin 
one may live in the future, the sins of the past are upon 
him. These will forever condemn him, unless they 
are removed. Our ceasing to sin will not take away 
the old ones. The fact that a man refuses to 
contract any more debts, will not pay a dollar of his 
old ones. So no amount of reformation will make 
amends for the past. Our past sins must be taken 
away, else they will condemn us in the day of eternity. 
We can not remove them ourselves ; we can not atone 
for our own sins. Here we are utterly helpless. To 
what source, then, shall we go ? Christ is the only 
refuge. He alone can take away our sins ; His blood 
alone can cleanse from sin. **If we walk in the light, 
as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with an- 
other, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth 
us from all sin." This is the "fountain opened in the 



FRANK G. ALLEN. 259 

house of David for all manner of sin and uncleanness. " 
* ' Though your sins be as scarlet, he will make them white 
as wool. " " He will put them as far from us as the east 
is from the west, and remember them against us no 
more forever." Thus it is that Christ is our righteous- 
ness. We are righteous because He has made us such. 
He makes us such by taking away our sins. When 
our sins are pardoned, we are as free from sin as if we had 
never sinned at all. Hence as regards the guilt of sin, 
we are perfect. We are made perfect in righteousness 
because Christ removes all unrighteousness. We are, 
therefore, absolutely dependent on Him for salvation. 
We have no righteousness of our own. Our robes of 
self-righteousness are but filthy tatters in His sight. 
Those clothed in the righteousness of Christ, that is, 
the righteousness which Christ gives them, shall have 
right to the tree of life, and shall enter through the 
gates into the eternal city. Their right is not one of 
merit, but one that Christ has given. He is our right- 
eousness, and apart from Him none is possibly attain- 
able. 

Since we have to be perfectly righteous in order to 
be saved, and since this is impossible on our part, when 
relying on ourselves, but is obtained only by being 
pardoned through Christ, it follows that all boasting is 
cut off No man has occasion to glory except in the 
cross of Christ. Hence the apostle concludes his argu- 
ment by saying: **He that glorieth let him glory im 
the Lord." It also follows that he who would obtain 
personal righteousness, must submit to the "righteous- 
ness of God " — God's plan of salvation. Through the 
one "righteousness," is the other righteousness ob- 
tained. 




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